Seven Deadly Sins
by thatwritersdream
Summary: Natsu never went to Crocus instead he went back to an empty home, found Wendy and embarked on a journey to find the others- which he did successfully. Yet Fairy Tail and Sabertooth weren't ready to be tasked with locating and recovering seven missing high profiled mages who had gone missing under suspicious activity, including their own mages Lucy Heartfilia and Sting Eucliffe.
1. Chapter 1

**00| ONE YEAR**

* * *

_Humanity, such a mundane thing that is fragile in every definition of the eight letter word. To be human was to have weakness- to be weak in every single sense of the word. Humans, they are pitiful creatures who fear the very things that they can't comprehend, the things that are different from them or don't look like them. Pitiful beings who strive and suffer to maintain a fulfilling life by seeking success, greatness and victory._

_Humans are emotional things who break down when life hits them hard once and knocks them off their feet. They are vulnerable to themselves, being their own biggest critic and main enemy. To be human was truly unlucky._

_In the year VII 767, society was at a low point. Religion was just forming, magic was just showing up in people who had been called witches. Society was changing in a way that was a step backwards, not forward towards our future. People were scared of everything and anything, even their own shadows. Trust was nonexistent as the empires fell._

_It was believed humanity was failing because of their own sins, that the selfish and darkest parts of the human mind were taking over more and more as the days went by. The only way to ameliorate this flaw in people was to take the seven virtues's opposites, the seven sins, and sacrifice them to the gods to make humanity holy and pure once again. Free of difference and free of magic._

_These seven virtues that were held high by humanity at the time were the seven virtues of kindness, temperance, charity, chastity, humility, diligence and patience. For if a person had kindness, it cured envy. Like the belief that temperance cured gluttony, charity cured greed, chastity cured lust, humility cured pride, diligence cured slothfulness and patience cured wrath._

_The people of a small village, that would later become the Kingdom of Fiore, had trust in the Zentopia Church. The acting Archbishop fooled the people in donating money and hand picking the seven people who best embodied the sins. They believed the Church was cleansing the people, and everything would be made right again. Yet they were tragically wrong._

_The Zentopia Church and Archbishop, (Archbishop Zero), were never religious people who had the best for other's well beings, they were an acting cult that believed that every single person should recognized their own cardinal sins and not hide them. In later years they would evolve to believe people should try to atone for their sins by helping people that are needy and receiving nothing in return while following the seven virtues._

_On October 13th, VII 767, Archbishop Michael had gathered seven individuals, bounding them to seven different alters around a fire hot enough to rival the pits of hell. These seven individuals were seven people broke one of the seven cardinal sins, committed crimes that were caused by poverty and the need of self preservation._

_The first cardinal sin, Pride, having an excessive view of one's self without regard for others. The man who cared only for himself, leaving his family to fend for themselves in their him self preservation. Associated with the color purple._

_The second cardinal sin, Greed, representing an excessive pursuit of material goods. A woman bandit who raided and stole to feed her young, not caring who was hurt in the process of what she took. Associated the color yellow._

_The third cardinal sin, Gluttony, representing the action of taking too much of something in. A man who became an alcoholic, taking too much drinks and losing it all. Associated with the color orange._

_The fourth cardinal sin, Envy, representing one with the intense desire to have an item that someone else possesses. A woman who wanted a married man that held money and status, going as far as to take the man for herself using her body to break a marriage and gain. Associated with the color green._

_The fifth cardinal sin, Lust, representing one with the need to fulfill nonspiritual desires. A woman who needed money for her mother's illness, seeping low to selling her body for financial gain. Associated with the color blue._

_The sixth cardinal sin, Sloth, representing an excessive laziness or the failure to act and utilize one's talents. A man who was forced to hide his passion of art to be a political figure, failing miserably at the lack of passion he put in his movement and work. Associated with the color light blue._

_The seventh cardinal sin, Wrath, representing one who is vindictive, angry and seeks revenge. A man who was to be executed for committing the crime of murder. Associated with the color red._

_These seven individuals were offered up to, by what people were told, the gods. In reality, these seven individuals were offered up to the seven demon gates of hell, in the effort to obtain the power of hellfire- a magic great enough to burn the world to ashes and give a man the ability to rule over humanity. Which had been the goal of Archbishop Michael._

_Instead of having a sacrificial ritual, these seven individuals souls had been intertwined with the seven demons of hell, who created the embodiment of the seven deadly sins- the living seals of the seven demon gates with the help of the high priest who figured out Archbishop Michael's plans and countered it._

_The seven deadly sins lived three hundred years, protecting their seals and the little humanity they had left from those who wished to break said seals to obtain the hellfire power for their own. It was because of a change of power in the Zentopia Church that Archbishop Haru, the only Archbishop that had a positive view for the church and people, that it was decided with the seven deadly sins of what was to happen._

_The agreement that it would be better and safer for the seven sins to be dormant and spread apart, and by this the seven sins immortality gifted to them by their prospect demon parent that created them, would been temporarily suspended and sealed away using an ancient magic. With the help of his panel, Archbishop Haru burned all notes and stories of the seven sins and preformed the spell of reincarnation on the seven sins, sealing away their memories, abilities and immortality._

_At the very end, Archbishop Haru and his panel fell dead from the automatic magic depletion of their bodies, as did the seven deadly sins- who were reborn century after century, forever wandering the earth living different lives._

_Unknowingly waiting to be awoke by a person who dared to break their seals and seek for the power of the hellfire._

**_Author: Unknown_**

**_Published Date: Unknown_**

* * *

When he came back to Magnolia a year later after he went to train, Natsu Dragneel and his blue exceed Happy were in for a surprise to find that the Fairy Tail guild had been long abandoned with the destruction Elfman had reduced the guildhall too still standing there, untouched. It had set a heavy feeling of worry in his chest that was so strong that it was nearly foreign to him. The fire dragon slayer hadn't even thought about what to do next, his feet and body moving on their own accord down a pathway that was nostalgic to him now after all this time away.

_Strawberry Street._

Specifically under the window of Lucy Heartfilia's apartment, where he could already hear her yelling at him for not using the door. Looking up at Happy with a grin, who matched his own with the dragon slayer, the two made their way up to the apartment's window that was already cracked open- making entry as easy as stealing candy.

Only he was greeted with the deafening silence caused by the stillness of the apartment. The room he once occupied so frequently with the girl he watched grow into a strong woman, where memories of them and their team were made- was now all bare and gone as the guild hall. As if she had never lived here and the memories never happened at all.

It was a different type of heart wrenching pain that gripped him this time, one that rivaled loosing Igneel. He didn't understand what happened with the guild, not until his eyes had caught a news paper that announced that the Fairy Tail guild was disbanded by the guild master and the members went their own ways. Was he upset at that, yes, he was because they were nakama. Why the hell did everyone split so suddenly?

Yet when it came to Lucy and not knowing where she was and who she was with this past year, that he had obviously possibly left her alone with no one caused him to worry. He knew Lucy hated being alone, that it reminded her of the time she was a child and how she grew up behind the lonely halls of the Heartfilia Estate. It was probably why she could be scarily serious at times, just the old habit slipping back into place without her noticing too much.

"She stayed for a few weeks, hoping that one of you lot would come back here." The old woman who ran the apartments had somehow gotten into the room without Natsu noticing, who was lost in his own deep thoughts. "Her friend, Loke I believe, would often run into town to fetch her food. She never left her room much."

"Was she sad?" Happy asked, his voice already cracking knowing the answer.

"I may not like that noisy guild of yours, but Lucy was a good tenant." She gave a sad smile to Natsu, avoiding Happy's question. "You all went through something that battle, in order to keep us all safe and alive and you all lost something. When she came home the day of the disbandment of your guild, she lost a bit of the light in her eyes."

"She was sad Natsu." Happy croaked as he came to his own conclusion, sniffling at the dragon slayer who's fist was tight in a ball. It was an sign that the dragon slayer was upset, mostly with himself for not seeing this coming. Yet he knew what Lucy would say, telling him that it wasn't his fault and give him that smile of hers that made him feel safe.

"She left nine months ago. To where, I don't know but she was smiling when she said goodbye." The older woman then handed Natsu an envelope. "This was her last payment that I would like you to give back to her once you find that troublesome girl. Let her know this apartment is still hers when you get that noisy guild back together. This town isn't the same without your destructive guild."

It was those very words that caused the fire of determination in Natsu to stir up, and ignite this idea that he could do just that. Just because Makarov didn't want to be the guild master didn't mean that someone else couldn't, and Natsu would bring _everyone_ back together. Even if that meant hunting everyone down and dragging them back to the guild that they would rebuild once again.

He would find his team, Gajeel, Wendy, and hell- even Laxus's team. Hunt them down with his nose because they were Fairy Tail. They were nakama and it left him with one last thought,

_I'm all fired up now!_

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**The last thing I needed was to start a news story, but this idea I got caught fire and I just started writing different chapters and scenes. I'm excited about this story as well, and I hope you all enjoy this story idea as well.**

**Please let me know your thoughts and if I should continue!**

**Review :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**01| FAIRY TAIL**

* * *

Wendy Marvell and her white exceed, Carla, were the first members of Fairy Tail Natsu and Happy had managed to find in their own personal mission to revive the Fairy Tail guild. The two had been part of Lamia Scale, who then pieced together what had happened when Natsu and Happy had left. She told them no one knew they had gone to train, that Lucy hadn't said anything when Master Makarov disband the guild.

_"No one really knew why he did what he did, but at the same time no one argued his choice."_ Wendy had told him. _"Everyone had suddenly went their separate ways, probably for the best to comprehend what happened in battle and sort out through their own losses."_

It made sense, Natsu knew he didn't exactly have the right to judge or get completely upset because it was the same exact thing he did for the past year. He left without a word, just a note to his celestial mage and was gone. Telling Wendy about Happy and his plan to bring the guild back together, had made the sky dragon slayer a bit emotional about leaving the guild who took her in when she had no one else.

Yet after an emotional talk with her sky sister, Cheila, Wendy made the choice to go and help bring her family back together with Carla and said her temporary goodbyes to the members of Lamia Scale she had come to enjoy the presence of.

The four then embarked on a journey to find Lucy, who Wendy had the address of due to the fact they had sent letters back and forth every now and then. Only Wendy had admitted to the fact that Lucy hadn't responded back in a while and wasn't even sure if Lucy was even still at that address in the heart of Crocus.

Natsu and company were then led to an apartment complex that was empty. Getting into Lucy's new apartment had been easy enough, but both dragon slayers could tell it had been a while since Lucy had actually been in her own apartment with the lack of a strong scent. In fact, her sent was faded on the furniture and living area.

It hadn't kept the fire dragon slayer from snooping through Lucy's belongings to look for clue to where she could have possibly went, despite Wendy's attempts to stop him before she caved to help her fellow dragon slayer with Happy and Carla.

"Natsu." Wendy called from the room Natsu could tell had been Lucy's, it was the strongest point of the house that carried her faded scent.

Looking around the room, Natsu wasn't surprised to find it nearly immaculately clean. Even in Magnolia she had been nagging about how their team always made a mess and to clean up, although over time she gave up trying to make that happen when they were around. With how neat the bed was made and the layer of dust coating the furniture, it was clear Lucy had not been home for a while now.

Which unsettled both dragon slayers.

Shifting his onyx eyes towards where Wendy stood, his gaze fell onto the wall the air dragon slayer was looking over. Slowly his eyes widen, seeing the red lines and article clippings next to pictures of their guild members- even his own picture with Happy.

"She was tracking everyone she could from the guild." Carla spoke up, looking over the little sticky notes that littered the wall. "Latest sightings and what they were doing. They date back three months ago."

"Three months ago." Wendy muttered, letting her finger trace the picture of her and Carla marked down at Lamia Scale. "She put so much time in tracking us. Do you think she went to track more?"

Carla glanced at Wendy and then back at the wall, "No child, she got these notes from articles. Didn't you say Lucy mentioned she now worked for Sorcerer Weekly?"

Wendy nodded, recalling one of the few letters Lucy had sent that mentioned what it was she was now doing when Wendy asked if she would join another guild, like Sabertooth since Yukino was there and she was another celestial mage.

_"I don't have the heart to join another guild, Wendy. I'm not judging or blaming you, because I'm sure others did as well to make ends meet for money. I just can't. Fairy Tail was my home, is my home where all my family is. No one will ever replace that, so I decided to chase my dream of being a writer and came to Crocus. Jason took me in under his wing as a editor in training after I tried to make my own ends meet with modeling. I like it here."_

It was the last letter Lucy had sent, if Wendy could recall correctly. In that moment she read it, Wendy didn't realize how much emotion lacked from it. There was no passion behind those words Lucy written, and it made Wendy question how good of friend she was not seeing that Natsu wasn't with her sooner. Lucy never mentioned him once, nor anyone else.

"We should check with that weird reporter guy then." Natsu says, taking a step forward and taking in the words Lucy written next to his own picture with Happy. _Unknown._

"The really energetic one?" Happy asked, flying net to Natsu.

"That's the one buddy!" Natsu grinned, taking off with Happy running down the street towards the office building the magazine was held in with Wendy and Carla running after them.

* * *

"Lucy?" Jason frowned and then shook his head at the four her barged in. "Lucy isn't missing. She's been keeping herself so busy that I'm afraid she'll work herself to death."

Usually Jason would be more excited to publish this story, getting in their faces but after working with Lucy and learning her secret grief after catching her crying one shift, he didn't have it in him. Instead he only wrote notes in a notepad to remember key points to publish in the future.

"I knew that was a thing." Natsu muttered, rubbing his chin.

Carla ignored the fire dragon slayer's comment and responded to Jason, "But that doesn't tell us where Lucy is."

"Honestly, I couldn't tell you. She volunteered to cover a story that would cause her to travel around the kingdom for at least six months, possibly eight." Jason informed them truthfully. "It was a position for a lead writer here, but she jumped at the job when the other worker fell through."

"Do you know when she'll be home?" Wendy asked the reporter, who was relatively calm for the first time.

Jason sighed and shook his head, "She just sent a letter that she was going on her next lead, and reassured she was fine. Also mentioned she should be home in about three to four months."

Jason knew the reason the blonde worked herself so hard was because she missed Fairy Tail and felt guilty about her sacrifice that Jason only told her made her a hero to them all ( information he came to know by accident and swore to keep to himself). She may have sacrificed a friend, and as wrong as it seemed she saved so many in return. No one would judge Lucy for her choice, but then again she had herself to be her worst enemy.

Wendy had let her shoulders drop in the disappointment she felt that it would be later rather than sooner when they would see Lucy again. Yet she understood that Lucy didn't know that they were trying to get the guild back together, so she kept herself busy working. Making a living just like how Carla and Wendy herself took job requests at Lamia Scale.

"I can tell her you were looking for her whenever she checks in next." Jason offered, seeing how the fire dragon slayer looked particularly upset at the news of Lucy's job. "Sometimes she surprises me with lacrima calls, but that doesn't happen very often."

Natsu perked up at this, because maybe if Lucy knew that the guild was going to get back together then she would come home right away. She would find them with her surprisingly good tracking skills and help rebuild their home and family.

"If she calls, you better tell her that Fairy Tail is back and stronger than ever." Natsu says, pointing at Jason.

"We haven't even gotten anything back together yet." Carla tsked, shaking her head at the pink haired idiot. "The last thing we should do is have Jason lie to Lucy about us being home and her coming back to what she left, which was _nothing_."

Natsu knew that Carla had a point, that maybe if Lucy did happen to call soon then Jason would tell her about their plans and then she would head home. Once she would return back home, which would probably be before them, she would see the destruction and abandonment she originally left.

It would only hurt her more.

"If she happens to call, I'll tell her you four stopped by with the mission to find everyone from your guild. I'll even update the status of your journey and will tell her you're up and running again or still working on it." Jason offers, knowing how important these people where to his friend.

As much as Jason knew Lucy had a passion for her work there at Sorcerer Weekly, she had more of a drive when it came to her guild and the missions with her team. Jason had even see her with Team Natsu back at the Fairy Tail guild, and knew her smile now a days was nowhere near as radiant as it had been during the guild days.

Yet Jason could only watch the four Fairy Tail members embark on their journey as they left through his doors, determined to track down those Lucy had carefully and skillfully tracked through her means here. Only then could Jason crack a smile as hope fluttered into his chest that maybe they would succeed and that Lucy would be back to where she and her heart truly belonged.

_Good luck, you four. I can't wait for how this story ends._

* * *

It took Natsu, Carla, Happy, and Wendy all of two months to track everyone down that Lucy had tracked originally, and get them to help locate the others to bring back home. Some were found in places Natsu never thought they would be, like Levy and Gajeel with Lily working for the royal guard. Or Gray working under cover in a cult as a member, and Erza being in on it.

Yet the one thing that remained the same was the urge for everyone to return home. Erza had given Natsu that rare smile, telling him that despite them all needing a moment to breathe and readjust to life again, they all belonged with each other in the guild.

_We're nakama, no matter what. Thank you Natsu, Wendy, Happy, Carla._

Makarov had passed the position of Guild Master to Laxus, who was more than ready to lead the guild and have his family back together. Makarov himself was proud of who Laxus was becoming, but wasn't surprised that Laxus was suddenly ready to be guild master. Maybe not ready for the future paper work, but he'd come a long way from the boy pretending to be a man to becoming a man who has experienced hardships.

Yet despite what they had been through the past year, mostly everyone was the same. Cana still drank her body weight and more, Mira was cheerful and outgoing, Gray still stripped and Juvia was still in love. Happy only wanted his fish and Carla still had her opinions. Erza was more mature, if possible, but somewhat a bit compassionate? Natsu wasn't sure, but even himself had changed for the better.

It had been a normal day in the guild, well as normal as it could be with them coming back together in an effort to heal wounds that still lingered. It was clear people matured and grew from the situation, taking life by the reigns and trying to live it to the fullest as possible. Life was short and unpredictable, which was proven right as the newly rebuild guild doors slammed open to reveal Arcadios.

"Arcadios?" Makarov questioned, standing from his seat to face the man who guarded the Princess under most occasions. "What brings you here?"

"A mission for your guild, or more so a few selected members." Arcadios announced, surprising most because a mission from a Holy Knight member was a high classed mission that was most likely dangerous, an d very rarely given.

"The whole guild is being tasked a mission?" Erza rose an eyebrow at Arcadios.

The older man didn't know how to break this news to one of the most destructive guilds. In all honesty it was only a matter of how much destruction would it bring than when, even if they were separated for a year. Anything that ever involved a member of their own guild turned them to seek blood, maybe not literally but they'd shed it if needed.

"You and Sabertooth have been tasked this mission by Princess Hisui herself, who's made it clear how delicate and private this mission really is." Arcadios tells Erza, fully entering the guild now as everyone began to tune in.

"Why would she pair us with Sabertooth for a mission?" Gray questioned, not meaning it in a bad way but wondering why that particular match up and what the mission was exactly.

"The mission would have been classified as an S-class job, but then new information revealed that this particular job would be more personal for both Sabertooth and Fairy Tail." Arcadios continued, trying to not word anything wrong. "Princess Hisui then decided it would be best the two guilds handled the now personal affairs, especially after all you've sacrificed for this kingdom."

"Yeah? How so is it personal to us and Sabertooth?" Gajeel questioned, not to sure if he was ready to face another life and death situation with his guild just yet when not everyone was fully healed mentally or emotionally. Which was the direction the damn man in front of him seemed to be going.

"Princess Hisui would like for both guilds to work together to locate the whereabouts of seven missing high profiled mages and people of status." Arcadios slowly revealed, ready to now rip the bandage off the wound.

"How is that personal to us?" Gray questioned, a new uneasiness settling in. Who the hell was missing that wasn't already counted for?

"Two of the seven missing mages are both Sting Effucile from Sabertooth, and your fellow guild mate, Lucy Heartfilia."

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**Thank you for the support so far, I appreciate it greatly!**

**:)**


	3. Chapter 3

**02| MISSING**

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Just like he expected, the Fairy Tail guild erupted into an uproar of yells and questions that Arcadios couldn't even keep up with. He was sure that the resident drunk at the bar had thrown her beer at someone while yelling with the crowd, but it was when lightning struck the floor that everyone got quiet.

Laxus Dryer, the new guild master of Fairy Tail, had shut the chaos down and was now staring Arcadios down with a hard look. It was new knowledge to learn that Makarov backed down from being the guild master, but seeing the old man looking stress free until five minutes ago had been a nice change.

"What the hell are you talking about Lucy being missing with Sting and five other mages?" Laxus barked out, clearly agitated that he already failed one member being guild master in such a short time. Yet he had no control over it. "Natsu said she was on a job for that damn magazine company she was working at before coming home."

Arcadios nodded, "She was, until Jason reported her missing three days ago. She never checked in with him, not since three months ago. Apparently Lucy was supposed to head over to the country of Stella, but when we checked we found Lucy never boarded the boat."

"Then where the hell is she?" Natsu questioned, fist closed as he tried to keep calm for once.

"We were able to track the last place she had been, a town called Clovis and found this in the dirt of a path way." Arcadios went to pull something from his pocket, opening his hand to reveal the one thing everyone knew Lucy would never just leave behind.

Loke's golden gate key.

It was the one clear sign that Lucy was taken, and that she either left Loke's key on purpose or someone who took her clearly knew about Lucy and her key's bonds. It struck some of the guild members that the celestial mage just couldn't get a break with life, because even as she lived a very normal life the past months- she was still targeted.

"We need to find her!" Natsu roared, control snapping as he stood up ready to go but Erza was quick to shove him down into a seat. Her hands firmly clamped around his shoulders to prevent him from running off without even thinking.

"Tell us everything that you know." Erza demanded, slamming her hand down on the table with a loud smack. Her brown eyes were intense, worry dancing through them for the sake of her team mate.

Erza had always meant to go by and visit Lucy in Crocus, knowing her blonde friend wrote articles there for a daily job. It never surprised Erza how easy it was for Lucy to slip back into a life of normality. Where she could get up and work, go home and sleep and then repeat. Knowing she was okay kept Erza from worrying, and visiting. All her attempts never worked out, and now Erza felt like a bad friend.

She had been so focused on Alvarez with Gray that she never thought to visit, also under the impression Natsu was somewhere around and surprisingly domesticated. Yet that wasn't the case and Erza knew she should have known better. To have been a better friend to equal how great Lucy was.

The guild doors opened once again, and this time two mages entered with two exceeds. Yukino was taking a deep breath, slightly flushed as she took a deep breath and set Frosh onto the floor. Rouge was next to her, looking tired like Yukino and Lector. Seeing Arcadios, Yukino perked up and began making her way over with hope shinning in her brown eyes.

"Have you found Sting?" Yukino asked softly, before her eyes fell onto the golden key in Arcadios's hand and froze, blood running cold. Her eyes then looked up to scan around the Fairy Tail Guild for her fellow blonde Celestial Mage, yet she was no where to be found. "Where is Lucy?"

Arcadios sighed softly, meeting Yukino's questioning eyes, "She's one of the seven missing with Sting. Reported three days ago." Then looked back at Erza as he set Loke's key down, pulling out a map.

When the map was unrolled fully in front of her on the table, Erza noticed the red circles. Seven of them exactly all in circular uniform. Furrowing her eyebrow, she knew that the red circle represented where exactly one of the seven people had gone missing, or estimated to have gone missing. One of these circles was Lucy, and somewhere on this map was where Lucy was at now. Where that was at was beyond Erza.

Yukino, on the other hand, knew that the only person who would have any type of answers was the lion spirit himself. He had to have known _something_ concerning Lucy, what happened and possibly connecting it back to any one of those other six missing people, including Sting. The only thing that was throwing Yukino off was that Loke had not come out on his own gate.

"Has Loke opened his gate by chance, Arcadios?" Yukino softly asked, looking up at the Holy Knight with question.

"No." Arcadios answered, glancing down at the key. "The only action from that key was reported when it was found. When one of the guards picked his key up, it glowed but no one came out."

Yukino glanced at Freed the same time Levy did, but it was Levy who spoke up, "Is there a rune on Loke's key that's preventing him from coming here?"

Freed stepped up to look at the golden celestial key up close, frowning sensing nothing off. He wasn't sure why Loke wouldn't be able to open his own key, knowing how devoted Lucy's spirits where to her, he was sure it wasn't a choice. Yet when the key pulsated with a glow, Freed was quick to set it down and take a step back.

In a blinding bright light, Loke stood before the lot of them looking around like a wild animal before realization set in. He was not where he left Lucy. No he was now in the Fairy Tail guildhall, alone with no Lucy in sight, nor any of the other spirits Lucy had come to have in her beloved presence.

He had lost her.

"_Damnit!_" Loke snarled out, using regulus impact on the nearest table and taking a deep breath.

It was Mira putting a hand on Loke's shoulder that soothed his anger, yet it was quickly replaced by a tremble of his body as tears gathered in his eyes. This was the comfort Lucy wanted, no _needed_ and yet she was gone and he had no fucking clue where.

"Tell us what happened Loke." Mira said softly, feeling the sorrow from the spirit and was heartbroken for him as well.

"What story was Bunny Girl chasing down out in Clovis that was gonna take her to Stella?" Gajeel questioned, eyebrow raised.

Loke sighed and shook his head before raising it to look at them one by one, "She wasn't chasing a story, she was chasing a lead on a key."

"A key?" Gray repeated, arms crossed. "Must have been one hell of a key if she was willing to leave the kingdom."

"The key means a lot to her." Loke muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I _told_ her something felt off about it, the timing and everything. No one knew this information, and she claimed she was told through a dream."

"Didn't know about what, Loke?" Natsu was the one who spoke up now, breaking his silence and staring Loke down intensely.

He knew Lucy should be the one to tell them this, the truth of what happened but she was no where to be found and she had lied to Jason about why she needed to go after this _lead_. Lucy didn't want to risk her newfound job, so she lied about her story scope and went chasing a lead from a _dream_.

He wished he tried harder to stop her and listened to his gut feeling better.

"In the battle of Tartaros, you all became trapped in a spell called Alegria. Which immobilized you all in the form of Plutogrim. The only one who wasn't trapped had been Lucy, thanks to Horologium. Yet that left her to face her next problem alone, which was being the target for any of the nine demons to kill her for some sort of promotion from Mard Geer had set."

Loke's eyes flickered with emotion, remembering how vivid he could feel Lucy's, "She called out Virgo and myself, but we could barely hold our own and more were coming. Lucy was using her whip, and we were all trying our best but nothing was looking very bright and her magic was draining dangerously fast. She then made the choice of opening a third gate, Aquarius."

"That would strain her magic." Yukino gasped, not even able to fathom that Lucy went through this and said nothing to no one. Looking around the guild, it seemed like no one else thought so as well.

"Virgo and I yelled at her to close one of our gates when Aquarius did appear, catching Lucy right as she fell since she was using to much magic. Soon after Virgo and I were forced back into the celestial world, but the story is well known since it's the first this ever happened." Loke took a deep breath, "None of us Celestial Spirits would be able to defeat the demons, but Aquarius told Lucy who could- the Celestial Spirit King."

"He was there." Gajeel pointed out, clearly remembering seeing that big Celestial Spirit. He was impressed Bunny Girl even had his key.

"To summon the Celestial Spirit King is a sacrificial type of contract. A trade where a golden key is broken and the king is summoned." Loke wished it had been him instead of her. "Lucy was faced with a choice. One, turn her back on her guild or two, sacrifice Aquarius at her own request to save the guild. Lucy, she chose the second."

It was something none of them would have thought Lucy would have come to do. Of course they had wondered how they lived, how they were saved and yet none had asked. In return Lucy had not spoken about it, and was left to grieve alone. It was a realization many of them came to think of.

Lucy had made a sacrifice, and they'd left.

_They'd left her too_.

Natsu was the one hating himself the most, knowing something had to had happen. Yet he was so upset over Igneel, he had left with happy to train with the idea that if he gotten stronger he could protect his family and home.

To protect Lucy.

Yet the reality was he'd left her too with nothing but a note, a selfish note. She had to grieve alone not only the loss of Aquarius (a spirit Natsu knew her late mother passed down to her), but also dealt with the absence of himself and Happy, and the disbandment of the guild. Had she been lonely? Sad?

"Yes Natsu, she was." Loke answered, startling the dragon slayer who hadn't realized her spoke aloud, nor realized the look of agitation on Loke's face. "She was sad and lonely, remembering her life back at the estate while she tracked you all down without any of you knowing. Which is why when a lead on Aquarius came up, she didn't care where it took her or how long. Lucy made it clear she was going to find Aquarius."

"What happened out there?" Laxus asked now, wanting to know what happened to one of his members.

"I lost her." Loke said defeated.

_"I still don't think this is a good idea Lucy." Loke muttered to the blonde celestial mage on his left, who merely sighed in response. "You could have at least set up camp for the night or stayed in the last town we just passed. It's like a twenty minute walk if we turn back now."_

_"No." Lucy said, the determination in her voice evident. "There's no time to turn back now."_

_"There no reason to risk your safety or health for that matter either, Lucy!" Loke argued back, stopping in front of Lucy and turning to face her- forcing her to stop walking as well. "I know you're upset, and that you're trying the best you can to cope with it all, but you're not alone. Aquarius would not want you jeopardizing your safety for her this way."_

_"But it's okay for me to sacrifice her?" Lucy retorted, the hurt shinning in her brown eyes. "I know what she did saved their lives, and I know it's selfish of me to wish she were here still. Yet it doesn't change anything. Right now I have nothing."_

_"You have us, you're spirits." Loke corrected, slightly hurt by the accusation. _

_"I know." Lucy's shoulders slumped. "I'm grateful for you all, because I know you all are there but you can't constantly be here. I know I should be happy with my job, with my apartment, but I'm not. Not entirely."_

_Loke understood where Lucy was coming from, having been filled in on Lucy's childhood story by Capricorn and Aquarius herself. Then he also understood because he experienced it in his exile from the Celestial World. _

_It was the feeling of being ripped away from his home, his family, for reasons beyond his control. Sure he understood the reasonings as to why, but he had only protected Aries and was punished for it. It wasn't fair. Then he was sent to a world full of people all around him, put in a guild where he was cared for yet it was never enough to soothe the ache of the loneliness her felt._

_The homesickness. He of course had acted like everything was okay, blended in and smiled while secretly being in pain for being in the human world for so long. Their situations were nearly the same, with a few twisted details and opposite worlds._

_He understood now that he thought about it._

_"You aren't alone, Lucy." Loke gave her a sad smile, brushing her long strand if blonde hair behind her ear. "I know we can't be with you constantly, but we are always watching. Plus you have people who care, like your boss. Make new memories, don't hold on so tightly to the past. It will snuff out your light."_

_Lucy's eyes teared up and she nodded slightly, feeling a weird relief that someone could understand the emotions she couldn't put into words. _

_"We are going to go back to town, where you are going to rest and eat so we can continue this adventure. Aquarius's key isn't going anywhere soon, okay?" Loke chided softly, earning a nodded- much to his relief. He thought she would argue with him again._

_"I'm afraid that's where you're wrong, lion boy." A voice interrupted, startling both Lucy and Loke to turn around to find a man and woman blocking their path. _

_Hearing rustling on the other side, Loke turned his head to see another man and woman had blocked the other side of them. Was this an ambush to rob them or was it a dark guild? Whatever it was, Loke had a bad feeling._

_"Open, gate of the maiden- Virgo!" Lucy yelled out, but nothing happened. "What the hell?" Lucy frowned, whipping her head around to a man with blonde hair chuckling. Her brown eyes narrowed in anger, "What the hell did you do to my magic!?"_

_He only smirked and put a finger to his lips, "It's a secret, Princess."_

_Loke snarled at someone using his nickname for Lucy so loosely. It pissed Loke off to no end when the man took a step forward and Lucy took a step back to grip her whip. Taking his own . step forward, hand igniting to throw a punch, Loke grunted when his body stopped listening to him and went still. _

_"Down kitty." A woman purred, dragging a nail across Loke's cheek when she was close enough. "We have no intention of harming you, but there is no need for you to be here. Marcus, send him back and seal his key with a rune to prevent him from coming back until she's out of the area." _

_Loke didn't like the sound of that, and neither did Lucy- who yelled out his name in a tone that he thought he was getting killed. The reality was he was just stabbed, really hard, and forced to go back into the spirit world._

"I don't know what the hell those people were, or their magic but I understand one of them had magic to cancel out Lucy's and the other had some ability to control people since I lost control of my body." Loke ran a hand through his hair. "I wasn't able to leave my gate until I was brought here, and so far none of the other key's Lucy has have been able to either. We can barely sense her magic too, barely enough to know she's alive."

Arcadios rubbed in chin in thought, because what would the chances be that two different stories would come together? The Holy Knight knew that there were talks about a new cult forming, equipped with dark magic- yet nothing was known about them too much because they were like ghosts. They didn't leave a trace, but they messed up twice. One here, with Loke. The second being in the Royal Library, where it was reported that the ancient vault was broken into and scrolls were missing.

"It's possible that a dark cult took Lucy, why- I don't know. Princess Hisui told me that scrolls of an old legend of the seven deadly sins were stolen, and that someone reported two people with similar magic abilities." Arcadios frowned, needing to go back and tell Princess Hisui this development and idea. He grabbed files he had in a bag on her and set them on the table next to Loke's key. "For now you are tasked to locate them, and update me if anything is found out. I must go back to the Princess now to inform her."

With that Arcadios left in a hurry, leaving the guild wondering what the hell was going on through his head. Yet Loke had already come up with this conclusion that dark mages took Lucy, surprised as well at hearing that Lucy wasn't the only one missing. If this was a dark guild or cult, then what the hell were they up too?

"We need to find her." Natsu says, looking more than ready to storm out again but Erza shook her head the dragon slayer.

"I know Natsu, that you want nothing more than to race out to find her- we all do, but we need to think rationally." Erza says, knowing that this would be exactly what Lucy would probably tell him to keep him somewhat calm. Yet it was Lucy missing. "We need to form a plan, and a strategy."

Loke nodded, then looked at Yukino, "For now, I ask if you will form a temporary contract with me until we can find Lucy. If this is a dark guild, I won't let another Celestial Mage get hurt- much less one dear to my Princess."

Yukino nodded, understanding why Loke would want to ensure her safety while they looked for Lucy and Sting, but also understood Loke needed his key to be _there_. In the hands of other Celestial Mage who Lucy trusted was just a plus.

"Well where the hell do we start in looking for both Sting and Lucy along with the other five missing mages?" Gray questioned, watching as Erza, Freed, Levy and Rouge sat down and picked up a file to look through.

"We look through the information and try to piece it together." Levy replied, swamping files with Rouge and hunkered down in reading. Even going as far as to take notes.

For about five minutes it was silent in the guild hall as Laxus, Mira and Yukino joined in and reading and going over the files. It left the others at a loss of what to do for help. Well Gray and Gajeel were making sure Natsu didn't sneak off by knocking him out when he tried, and in the far corner of the guild Makarov had disappeared in a discussion with Mavis.

"Perhaps I can help." Mavis spoke, gaining the complete attention of every one else as she went to skim quickly over the files. Humming when she found what she was looking for in each one, confusing the others going over the files. What did she find that they had missed?

"Arcadios mentioned the seven deadly sins?" Mavis asked, looking over Erza's shoulder at the file she had at hand, which was Lucy's file.

"Yes, and gave us these files on the missing mages- including Lucy and Sting." Erza frowned, looking in on the file about Lucy. Her eyes scanned the information of her beloved blonde friend while Wendy healed Natsu's head where she had hit him to calm him from storming off to find Lucy alone before they had a plan.

Mavis shuffled the other files, looking them over briefly with a growing frown. "All seven of the files are on high profiled mages, which is why the magic council sought out guilds to help recover them. More specifically Fairy Tail and Sabertooth because we would be more inclined to help and recover our own."

"What does the the story of the seven deadly sins have to do with it though?" Gray asked aloud, causing Mavis to straighten up with a rare serious expression that silenced the rest of the group.

"It's not a just a story, it's lost history." Mavis says, ignoring the groan of a wakening Natsu. "Nearly three thousand years ago, the Zentopian Church followed their beliefs they had then that people should embrace their inner sins. They believed it so much that they wanted to reshape humanity in the image of the seven sins, who are keys of obtaining the greatest power, Hellfire."

"It was believed that the one who had the Hellfire had the righteousness to control humanity to their whim, giving the power to burn the world down into ashes and to reform it to their liking. The Archbishop of that time handpicked seven people who had committed that of the seven sins, sacrificing them to the seven demon gates who the sins represented. The part that is uncertain is what happened after in that time."

"Why is that?" Lily inquired.

"It's said that the seven sacrifices woke with abilities and their humanity barely in tack, their human lives turned into a dark ageless one. The legend has it that it took them three hundred years to regain the mindset of their former selves, to make it the mission to kill any seeking the power of Hellfire by the means of making sure it's never obtained. All the stories or anything on the seven deadly sins was burned or destroyed due to a different priest's demands, whom's mission was to seal the sins away."

"What does this have to do with Lucy, or Sting or the other mages?" Yukino questioned softly.

Mavis went silent again, holding her chin for a moment while she looked over Erza's shoulder again and stared at Lucy's photo. The blonde seemed happy, and didn't deserve what was going on. Yet there was only one idea Mavis had that made sense why the seven would be taken, and it being _seven_ people missing wasn't a coincidence. These abductions weren't random, no- Mavis knew they were carefully planned. They had to be.

"I believe each of them represent one of the seven virtues, opposite of the seven sins." Mavis answered. "Sabrina Moore represents the virtue of charity, using her magic to help those in need. Rafael Armington represents the virtue of patience, using that skill in political matters from his high status background. Nadia Silva represents the virtue of kindness, since she is a known mage who was ranked the most kind."

"Adrian Vandom represents the virtue of diligence, a mage known for his careful work effort of solving puzzles and curses. Killian Kiryu, represents the virtue of temperance, not really a working mage but highly profiled because of his well known ability to help others with their drinking and abuse issues."

"Sting and Lucy?" Gajeel reminded, getting a look from the first master. The iron dragon slayer shrugged, be was impatient sometimes and wanted to know where this was all going.

"Sting and Lucy, represent the virtue of humility and chastity." Mavis concluded.

Levy was the first to piece it together, "If they represent the virtues of the sins, meaning they are basically opposite of the sins. That being charity, patience, kindness, diligence, temperance, humility and chastity are greed, wrath, envy, sloth, gluttony, pride and lust-"

"That the seven of them are being sacrificed to break the seven seals, if they even exist." Mavis finished.

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	4. Chapter 4

**03| MOUNT BEAUMONT**

Time was of the essences for every member in the Fairy Tail Guild, including the two Sabertooth members and exceeds that came along with them. After the realization of the more possible sacrifice of the seven missing mages, including Lucy and Sting, everyone was all hands on deck to try to locate them.

Everything was speculations, ideas Levy and Freed tossed back an forth with one another about where exactly the seven could be. Erza was helping the two as well, reading the files to understand exactly where everyone was going and why they were in the particular spot they had been when taken.

It was already know to them about Lucy being given a false hope of finding Aquarius's key, leading her to embark on a journey to locate the siren's key that was so dear to her. It was more than likely Lucy was lead out there, that she was targeted specifically like the other six. Erza knew that meant someone was watching Lucy, and they gotten her when she was at her weakest and defenseless.

According to Rouge and Yukino, Sting had gone on a mission that called for him specifically. Yukino admitted something felt off about the whole mission, but Sting had reassured her by saying that nothing was weird about him being asked for specifically. It hadn't been the first time, and since Fairy Tail had been disbanded and their members scattered, well it brought more clients and jobs to Sabertooth and certain members. In his wake, Sting asked Rouge to watch over the guild, but now matters shifted.

Sabrina Moore went missing around the same time as Lucy. Well, the more Erza read on each file she noticed they all went missing around the same time or at least were reported missing. That alone caused red flags, that each person was sought out with a obvious planned vendetta. In Sabrina's file, she went missing traveling to a charity event for a church in the upper north area of Fiore. The church wasn't named specifically, which should have caused Sabrina to be concerned. Yet some people were too trusting.

Rafael was the missing man who actually did raise alert within the Kingdom, because unlike the others chasing a lead or being sought out, he was attending a political meeting concerning laws for Fiore. In his file it was named that he was meeting with another political member who wished not to be named for a business deal, and honoring the request Rafael went missing during that dinner. That told Erza that these people who took the seven had possible high places in authority and were dirty members of society.

They cheated the system for their own gain.

Nadia Silva actually lived where she went missing from. Her file detailed that she liked being alone in her home, away from the city and people. She enjoyed nature and animals most, keeping to herself but welcomed anyone into her life with open arms, including magazines who wanted to interview the kind woman for helping where ever she could. The true definition of naive. The file on Nadia showed that there was a struggle in the home, even some spots of blood. Yet not a trace of Nadia or her kidnapper was left behind besides the mess.

Adrian Vandom had been in the town of Ashton, a few towns away from Clovis where Lucy had been taken. He had been asked to come to solve a curse on a client, and after checking in on the client named via lacrima Erza had learned the job was legit as well. Yet the client admitted it was a weird curse that happened randomly one night and how someone in town had mentioned Adrian. Adrian had been watched and taken advantage of, in Erza's opinion. Purposely drawn out on a legit job that had been staged.

Killian Kiryu was the only unknown. They knew he went missing around Evermore, yet the reasoning as to why he was even there was unclear. To Erza and anyone else who read his file, there was no reason for this man to be where he was at. Not when in his hometown of Hargeon he had a scheduled AAA group meeting. It was possible the man relapsed himself, but that was wrong wishful thinking.

"It's really obvious where they are being kept." Levy muttered suddenly, her voice going through the guild hall and causing some heads to turn her way. Yet she only looked at Freed and Erza, pointing to the middle of where each seven mages went missing. "They went missing in a circular formation, and if you draw a line to the midpoint of the circle they form, it leads to this mountain named Mount Beaumont. That isn't some coincidence."

"No, it's not." Erza rubbed her chin thinking. "It's also not a coincidence that they were all nearly reported missing in the span of a month."

"Unless someone is working on the inside." Freed added into their conversation. "Think about it. They all went missing around this mountain. They were all reported around the same time, but we don't really _know_ how long they've been gone. We have honest reports from Adrian and Rafael's cases, but the others? Lucy might have never sent any letters to Jason for all we know. Same with Sting."

Wendy glanced at Natsu hearing Freed say that, seeing that his eyes were on the floor thinking hard. Probably he was thinking the same thing as her, that Lucy had been missing longer than three months, maybe for this whole time. Jason had said she had a communication lacrima to contact him, but then why did she send a letter? Letters take longer to reach their destination. What if the letter she got from Lucy herself wasn't even real? Why that was the reason it was emotionless in tone.

If that were the case did that mean someone was watching all of them? The enigma around it all was hard to understand, because any intention wasn't clear.

"How high is the chance this is a set up?" Laxus asked, joining the table and looking at Freed for the answer to the question.

Glancing at Levy, Freed fixed his gaze onto the lightning dragon slayer, "The chance of setup is very high, because if they are this easy to be found, then whoever took them wants them to be found now, or is ready to take the chance."

"If they were being sacrificed, that's the opposite of what they would want isn't? For the sacrifices to be found?" Erza inquired, looking at Levy who was looking more stressed by the second.

"We don't really know the intentions of who took the seven of them. Sacrifice is a speculation, and if they are setting us up, then we could be walking into something bigger than what we are really ready for." Levy stressed out, her worry for Lucy only increasing.

Yukino, hearing what the others where saying after coming back into the guild after speaking with Libra and Loke by her side, only felt a more gut wrenching feeling in her body. Loke knew it was a dark guild or at least dark mages that took Lucy and the others. That meant that something was going on for their beliefs that involved both Sting and Lucy.

"Is everything okay, Yukino?" Freed was the one who noticed the Sabertooth celestial mage, who was looking as worried as they were all inwardly feeling.

It was different being in the guild together and facing the problem, because someone was with someone and saw something. Like with Michelle, Natsu had been there with Lucy when she was taken. Or with Wendy, Team Natsu had been there when she was taken during Nirvana. This time, Lucy was alone- given Loke being there. Yet they left or dropped his key, and he was suppressed by the magic of these dark mages. There was that small chance they'd never know she was missing, especially if the guild wasn't brought back together by Natsu's determination.

When Erza and Gray had been reunited with Wendy, Carla, Natsu, and Happy they were surprised not seeing Lucy and being told she was on her own journey at the moment for work. Yet they couldn't say anything, understanding Lucy was like them and had to do something with her life after the disbandment. Yet they were surprised to find out that Natsu and Happy had left her behind.

_"You two idiots left her alone!?" Gray yelled in disbelief that it was Natsu who did this out of everyone. He was always the one by her side, there for Lucy and the one who understood her the most. _

_"We didn't think the guild was disband! We thought she was safe at home this past year, or I'd have brought her with us ice for brains!" Natsu argued back, fist ignited itching for a fight suddenly._

_Erza, getting in the middle of the two, gave them both a stern look. "You two are going to calm down, because no one is to blame. We all had rights to leave, to recover and heal and so did Lucy. I know in my heart, she will come back home. We just need to make sure to have home ready."_

Yukino's hand was on her chest now, glancing at Loke and shaking her head. "Libra was informing me that none of Lucy's other spirits can reach her anymore. Virgo can't open her gate to get to her either, and she tries everyday."

"After going back to the Spirit World, everything felt wrong." Loke added, his facial expression torn. "Where ever Lucy is, it's affect us now in the spirit world."

"Libra says she can feel a shift in Lucy's magic." Yukino whispered softly. "That Lucy's magic is unbalanced."

"Unbalanced?" Mira asked gently, stepping forward and grasping Yukino's hands reassuringly. "What does that mean for Lucy?"

Loke frowned, not like this at all. Before they could feel Lucy barely, only knowing she was alive. Now in the spirit world her magical presence was strong, strong enough that Virgo should be able to open her own gate. The only issue was how untamed and unbalanced Lucy's magic was now, unstable.

"It means where ever Lucy is, she's in a very dark place." Loke answers, knowing more about celestial magic. "Her magic is light, basically starlight. Celestial magic is _pure_, and if you keep that pure light in darkness, only one of two things can happen. That light will shine on in the dark or it will be snuffed out."

"Her life?" Gray inquired.

"The magic change can be linked or not to her life. I can't know until I see her." Loke took a deep breath, not being able to fully feel Lucy because of his temporary contract with Yukino was difficult. His life was in debt to Lucy, he was supposed to only serve Lucy. It all felt so wrong.

Natsu stood then, walking to the table Freed and Levy were at with all the files and maps and slammed his hands down uncaring for the mess. "Then we need to go and find them right now! We can waste anymore time!"

Gray looked around and sighed, "I hate to say it, but flame idiot has a point. We don't have time to waste and we have a good idea where they are at. I say lets go, lets take the chance for Lucy and Sting's lives, as well as the others."

Erza looked over at Laxus, waiting for his say so to get what they needed and go. Yet when the lightning dragon slayer looked at Makarov, he said something that was surprising to them a little bit but made the fire of hope reignite in the guild.

"Can you watch the guild hall while we are away, old man?" Laxus asked, smirking when Makarov nodded his head.

"For Lucy? Of course I can boy." Makarov says, crossing his arms and giving the Fairy Tail salute. "Now you all be careful and bring her home in one piece!"

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It took an hour tops for the final choice to be made of who was going on this recovery mission and getting what they needed. The group pertained three groups that were decided by Laxus and Erza, strategizing who worked well with who and complimented each other as teams. Team One included the Thunder Legion and Mira. Team Two consisted of Gajeel, Levy, Lily, Rouge, Yukino, Frosh and Lector. Team Three was Team Natsu with Juvia.

It was a big group of mages who were traveling together, which caused some attention to be attracted but was quickly fixed with a few glares from Mira, Laxus and Erza. Gray had been right, there was no time to waste, especially is Mavis was right about the seven deadly sins being history and not just a story.

Seven lives were on the line, two of those were friends who were dear to hearts of people. It hurt Erza knowing that her best friend, the celestial mage who had done so much and was basically the sister she never had, was hurting so much. Especially before the guild disbanded.

Gajeel had always speculated that Lucy had done something to save their asses back in the war against Tartaros. Coming to find out she faced those demons alone and opened more gates that could have killed her, and then finding the strength to make a sacrifice of one her spirits for them? He respected the blonde on a new level, which only pissed the iron dragon slayer off more that someone had the damn nerve to take her.

Mira, on the other had, weeped for the celestial mage. She understood the life Lucy had lived before coming to Fairy Tail, because she had asked and Lucy didn't mind answering the questions. Mira knew Lucy had a very lonely childhood that could make the purest of hearts bitter, but Lucy thrived. She found a home in Fairy Tail, became apart of the family and she lost everything in the span of a few days.

Natsu, he felt like he failed her. He had promised to protect her future, and he left her. He left Lucy when she probably needed him the most and now she was missing and in danger. If he had stayed, she would have never went alone. She would have never had to hide her pain behind that smile she gave everyone. He didn't even ask _how_ she saved them. He knew she had done something, and because if his own grief he didn't think about her. Natsu had left Lucy, his partner and best friend, to face her pain and the world alone.

That was unforgivable.

When the train lurched forward, half of the dragon slayers groaned at the motion. The other mages ignored the dragon slayers pathetic whines of the train, but surprisingly Natsu wasn't one of the ones crying about it. The fire dragon slayer was green in the face, hand on his stomach, but determination was in his eyes as he looked out the window. He had spent enough time crying, and it had cost him someone dear.

"What's the whole plan again?" Lily asked, sitting in Levy's lap.

Laxus looked at the black exceed, "Since they were taken around the same areas in circular formation, we are going to be stopping in Veritas, a town about ten miles away from Mount Beaumont. We are gonna arrive late, so tonight we rest as best we can and head out early morning. Time is short right now."

Lily nodded, understanding that there was nothing complicated about this mission, but he did note how they haven't spoken about the other main factor, the dark guild. How were the suppose to know how to defeat the people who took their comrade?

"If these people have the ability to control and suppress the magic of people and people themselves, then who the hell do we go about this?" Gajeel questions, already knowing what his exceed was thinking. "That was only two people, and they got Loke defeated easily. Who the hell knows what other members they have and what they can do."

"He has a point." Erza agreed, already knowing they had nothing. "We have to split up. We never faced this enemy, but we've face more difficult tasks. I'm sure we can handle this, and for as much as we know, maybe their magic is limited. Remember only one suppressed Lucy's magic and one controlled Loke's movement."

"You're telling us to go in with wishful thinking." Rogue sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "I can make myself into a shadow and stay hidden, in case as well. I'll trail the team I've been assigned."

Erza nodded, "That works as well. The man objective though is to find Lucy, Sting and the others and get out. We can form a plan . to defeat this guild once we understand who they are, and Lucy and Sting will be able to provide that information."

The plan was a short shot of wishful thinking and hope fueled, but Laxus and Gajeel both knew the likelihood of coming out of this without a battle or hardships was slim. Whoever took Sting and Lucy with the others knew who they were and still somehow managed to get them all. All seven of these people were high profiled people, one a well known celestial mage and dragon slayer who was a guild master.

People who shouldn't normally be taken without so much of a fight and so easily. The enemy was strong, and they were smart. They had planned out all of this so far, and for all Laxus knew was that them finding out was because someone wanted them to find out. Someone could have easily kept pretending to be Lucy and send letters in her name, but the others and how it didn't make the news, it was disturbing.

After a train ride of three hours, the train finally stopped at their destination of Oxmire. One by one each mage shuffled out of the train, taking in the starless night sky. Even without using their dragon sense, each dragon slayer and mage could feel the shift in the town. Darkness surrounded it with a suffocating unwelcoming feeling. No one was outside, each home was dark and quiet.

"Is anyone even here?" Gray muttered out, walking out of the train station- where the train they just got off took off without letting anyone else off.

"I can smell people, but the only sounds they are making is breathing and the beats of their hearts." Gajeel replied, looking around the darkened town that seemed even darker despite it being night.

Wendy was the one to take a step ahead, pointing at one of the only sources of light that was the inn- the only one in this small town. Besides Yukino was Natsu, who was looking over at the mountain that was on the outskirt of town. The very mountain where Lucy could be. To think it had been a little over a year since he last saw her, Natsu wondered how much she'd changed. If she looked the same or of she was more matured.

Was she still sad? Or was she mad now? He wondered if she okay or if she was hurting, and if she was hurting he wanted to make that pain go away. She didn't deserve no type of pain, and he regretted leaving her alone. Yet when Yukino put her hand on his arm, drawing Natsu's attention, she said the words he didn't know he needed to hear.

"She will forgive you, Natsu." Yukino promised, and Natsu knew a celestial mage never broke their promises. "We will get her, and Sting and the rest of them. No matter what."

"No matter what." Natsu nodded, feeling a bit more at ease in knowing they had a high chance themselves.

The two of them caught up with the rest of the group who had gone ahead towards the inn, deciding to get as much rest as they could now and charge up for the real mission in the morning. Knowing deep down they would need to be in top shape for their mission to come.

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**Sorry for short chapter that wasn't very exciting, but thank you for the support!**

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	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for uploading this chapter twice! I decided to fix the grammar errors I could catch since I updated pretty late last night! **

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**04| THE AWAKENING**

_Her cries are what first got her attention, where she was at- Mira didn't know. She didn't understand where she was at, surrounded by red walls that seemed all too familiar. No, she knew these walls all too well. The cries that plagued her hearing that were distant at first became all the more loud, and in a blink of an eye Mira was standing before Lucy. _

_Lucy, the most sweetest girl Mira had come to have the pleasure of knowing, was crying her heart out in a way she never seen before. Never had Mira ever seen Lucy look so heartbroken in all the years Lucy had been in Fairy Tail. _

_"What's more important, memories?! The keys! A feeling of guilt!?" _

_Mira's eyes snapped over towards the person who dared raise their voice at Lucy, who was the no doubtingly the cause of her tears. Only Mira found she was looking at Lucy's beloved spirit, the one her mother had passed down to her before her passing, Aquarius. _

_Aquarius eyes were burning with anger, burning with a ferocity Mira never seen the siren spirit with at all. Not in the grand magic games, not even when they were in Crocus or any other time Mira had been present around the summoning of Aquarius. She heard the stories, but her heart was suddenly in pain and Mira didn't understand why._

_"No! It's the power to save your friends!" Aquarius was all but snapping at Lucy, who sat in the water with her hands covering her eyes while she cried._

_"The power of a Celestial Wizard!" Aquarius declared, and Mira could hear the undertone of pride. "Do it Lucy!"_

_Mira's eyes were taken back to Lucy, who held the golden gate key Mira knew was Aquarius's. The look of physical anguish on Lucy's face as she called forth her power, as she became enveloped in a soft golden glow as the water parted ways, looked as if she was being called physical harm. _

_Glancing at Aquarius, at the pained expression on her own face, Mira then understood what it was she was witnessing. She was seeing the connection of the two being severed, as if in real time. _

_**"There's a burning in my chest."** Mira heard Aquarius's voice in her own head. _

_Lucy's screaming as she gathered her will power or magic, maybe even a bit of both, was as heartbreaking as loosing Lisanna. It was something Mira wouldn't forget. _

_"Open!" Lucy's cry rang out lout through the walls of Alegria. _

**_"I can't stop the feelings.. I'll miss you, Lucy."_**

_Mira's heart broken completely then._

_"Gate of the Celestial Spirit King!"_

_"You've done more for me than you know. Thank you." _

_Mira watched a tear slide down Aquarius's face, how the golden spirit key in Lucy's hand was now broken, and watched as her comrade fell into a mess of tears no one else had witnessed that day looking completely and utterly devastated. _

_Then everything went black as a loud crash hit the Cube. _

Mira had gasped awake then, holding her hammering heart as tears made there way down her cheek. The pain in her chest felt all to real, and overwhelming. Mira didn't understand why she would have dreamed of that, or how she even got to see it. There was no doubt in her head that what she just saw was Lucy's memory of that day, and why Mira was seeing it was beyond her.

Yet she had a feeling that the reasoning she saw that moment in Lucy's life had to do with the dark magic that soiled the town of Oxmire.

Oxmire was a town know for the sunshine that hit it's flower patches and warmth, but outside the flowers were withered and dead. The air was cold and nipped at the skin of their noses, a shiver of promise of darkness lingering in the air.

When Mira had stepped onto the ground off the train, she could feel the darkness that soiled the ground. She could tell by the way the grass was dried, and flowers were withered that something was going on here that involved dark mages.

That was her where her hunch came in, that where ever they thought Lucy was in this town was that she _was _here. The dark magic was nothing pure, borderline demonic that was calling out to the demon soul residing inside Mira. Lucy must had subconsciously shared, or there was another reason why Mira saw that.

Whatever the reason was didn't matter for now, because the new occurrence that Mira had felt was the demonic presence. Which meant that maybe Mavis had been right, that the seven deadly sins was history and not a story. It meant that her friend could be sacrificed, and after seeing what she saw- Lucy deserved none of that.

It made her feel all more guilty. seeing now how well Lucy was at hiding her feelings. Mira had a good feeling not even Natsu understood how well Lucy could hide her feelings, because to be that heartbroken and not even letting a single soul know? That was a scary skill that caused Mira to wonder what else Lucy hid from everyone, leaving her to burden her own inner demons.

Morning couldn't have come faster. By sunrise everyone was awake, even the ones who normally would be awake so early. That group of late sleepers being Natsu, Gajeel, and Rouge. Yet the promise of finding their comrades and a possible fight had them wide awake and ready to go.

Gajeel had lingered in the Inn's lobby with Erza and Laxus, who had decided that it would be best to ask questions as the others went to eat breakfast. Wendy was the one pulling Natsu around, making sure he didn't destroy anything knowing once they found Lucy the blonde would only scold the fire dragon slayer.

At the mention of that, Natsu was on his best behavior. He had a feeling deep down that he couldn't shake that something wrong. There was something about this town that caused his skin to crawl, even the locals seem off as the scurried away from them.

Gajeel and Erza had been the ones to figure out why the locals were the way they were, of course with the help of Laxus. The manager at the inn had been _very _hesitant, so much so that both the iron and lightning dragon slayer grew impatient quickly, but eventually got their answers.

"What the hell is going on in this town of yours?" Gajeel questioned rather roughly, pierced eyebrows scrunched together.

Royce, the manager of the inn, had glanced bath and forth as if someone was watching and leaned forward, "Around seven months ago a group of dark mages came to town, called themselves The Order. The took the town by force."

"Why not report that?" Laxus inquired, curious why they would keep quiet. "Surely you could have easily reported them to the Council."

"That's the thing, I think they are _in_ the council." Royce muttered out softly. "These people are scary powerful, not just with magic. They made an example out of one family, the Madison's. Mr. Madison reported them, and the next thing we knew was that his whole family had been strung up by the necks, left hanging on the tree in the middle of town."

How that flew under the radar was beyond of them, but they had also threatened to kill people if a word was spoken to any authority. Threats about killing children and mothers, it was sickening to Erza and made her blood boil, but it was enough to keep this town in control. Fear had been struck into the locals.

It also made all three of them sick when Royce confirmed that two of the Madison family had been children. These people were truly vile and disgusting with no regards to life. They didn't deserve the air they breathed, but Fairy Tail was above killing. That didn't mean they could beat them to a pulp with an inch of their life to spare.

"Have you seen anyone brought back here?" Erza asked, seeing the fear in his eyes. "I promise no one will hurt you. We will eradicate this group, and protect your town. I promise you that."

Royce, seeing that Erza was firm with determination, swallowed that fear and racked his brain. he thought about all the times he'd seen a member of The Order, because it was just normal instinct for any one who lived here to turn a blind eyes away from what happened. If they left The Order alone, then they left them alone in return.

After all they needed this town to do whatever it was they were doing that now had the strongest guild attention, and brought their strongest mages here to investigate.

"Six months ago I noticed some members returning with people in handcuffs, magic cancelling probably too." Royce really hoped to see another day after this. "They took them to Mount Beaumont and we haven't seen any of those people again. Then a few weeks ago dark magic was everywhere and has been killing our crops and plants, even making elderly and children sick. Some have been leaving, but this is our home. We have no where else to go."

"We will clear the dark magic." Erza says, earning nods from Gajeel and Laxus to back her up. "But these people, how many where there and can you describe them to me?"

Royce scratched his head, "I'm unsure how many there are, and I can describe much since half of them weren't moving."

Before leaving, Erza thanked Royce for being brave enough to tell them the information they needed. Promising to fix what had been done, and even if Lucy wasn't here in this town, well Erza would make it her mission to help these people.

* * *

Outside in the town was a downcast, the dark grey clouds above the group completely blocked out any and all sunshine. Deep in his own bones, Laxus could feel a storm coming their way with the promise of thunder and lightning. By the static that was lingering in the air, the storm was going to be a big one and didn't help his own concern about their oncoming mission.

There was no doubt in mind they were going to cross paths with a dark mage, or even mages. No doubt that this was something that did revolve around some type of ritual that involved the seven mages that were taken. It was clear that this plan, whatever it was that involved both Lucy and Sting had been well thought out and that made it all the more dangerous.

It was the dark mages, or as they called themselves "The Order", that planned out their plans down to a T that made them all the more difficult to handle. Tartaros had proven that, and they all still bared scars and grief from that battle. They fought so hard to win, to survive and protect not only their loved ones and home, but the people themselves.

For Natsu, it pissed him off that Lucy always seemed to be in the middle of these things. First being the Infinity Clock, then the Eclipse Gate, and then Tartaros. He didn't know how she did it back then, but now he knew Lucy had been all alone to face those demons, she sacrificed Aquarius and she was hurt.

It pissed him off even more that someone took her when he wasn't around, and at the same time that was his own fault. He left with Happy, only leaving her a note and not even being man enough to face her. He knew if he had faced her, he'd have caved and took Lucy with him to train, but he needed to get stronger not just for the guild, but for Lucy. To him, he had to protect her. He had to be there and be able to be someone she could relay on and trust with anything.

And he failed.

He knew Yukino had been right, that Lucy would forgive him and that was because of who Lucy was. Lucy was trusting to a fault, always forgiving people and giving them second chances. As endearing as it was, it made her stupid sometimes too. Always trusting and not seeing that not everyone in this world was good, no matter how much she tried to make it so.

Who ever the hell these people were who called themselves _The Order_, a stupid as hell name, well Natsu was going to simply burn them to an ash. They not only took Lucy, but they gave her false hope of seeing Aquarius again and that was not okay in anyone's book.

Gray had been surprised when he found out that Lucy wasn't with Natsu or Wendy when they blown his cover in Alvarez. If anything, he expect Lucy to be there with Natsu and Happy instead of Wendy and Carla. Finding out Natsu had left ahead of everyone with Happy to train, and Lucy said nothing made Gray thinking of how much Lucy had truly given herself to the guild.

She put their happiness before her own, even at her own burden and gave them that smile that convinced them all she was fine. Finding out she had sacrificed Aquarius for _them_, it only proved how devoted to the guild she was and how much she thought of them as family. It made him think of how much it had to kill her inside to watch them all leave Magnolia, to leave her.

It broke his cold heart completely.

Then some bastard had the nerve to come steal Lucy. Along with their friend Sting and five other mages who were actually making a difference in Fiore. People who all mattered to someone and it wasn't right.

Yet there was this feeling he sensed with his own devil slayer magic that caused him to grown more anxious, as if his own body and magic was waiting for something to happen. The magic that poisoned the earth around them was anything but natural, meaning there had to be a source. The closer they got to that damned mountain, the stronger this suffocating darkness became.

The walk was made in silence, lasting about an hour until they reached their destination. Mount Beaumont was just another mountain, nothing very special about it or rememberable. The only thing it had that the other mountains most of them have all been to was the fact that it leaked dark energy.

Gajeel and Rouge nearly gagged at the scent of evil, it being so fucking strong it had them glancing towards Levy and Yukino with hidden worry. Levy on the other hand pushed her fear down, settling on the determination to go find her best friend and drag her home and never leave again. Yukino felt the warmth of her keys, plus Loke, and put her hand on them to reassure them she would be okay.

Evergreen and Bickslow with Freed looked over at Laxus and Mirajane, who watched the mountain. The dark feeling leaking out wasn't something they feared, it was the cost. Tartaros cost a lot for them, and for a while all they had was each other to pull one another through, Especially when makarov disappeared for a while, Laxus was nearly bad enough to not want to be around.

Gray huffed, because now his magic was warning him. Whatever laid inside wasn't pretty, and much more complex than they thought. Wendy, after everything with Tartaros, only wanted her family safe. She was getting better at confrontations and fights, but sometimes she wanted nothing to do with them. She wished people could be better and stop seeking out things that shouldn't be sought out.

Carla was in the air with Happy above Natsu and Wendy, her senses telling her that something was going to happen. Something was coming. Closing her eyes she remembered the dream she had about Lucy a few weeks ago, one Carla wrote off as nothing seeing as she believed Lucy was working for Jason.

A dream where Lucy stood before them, and she said something. Something and gave a wicked smirk that Lucy would never pull off. It gave Carla a shiver thinking of it, and yet she still wasn't sure exactly what it meant so she said nothing about it.

Happy, he wanted Lucy to be okay. He missed her yelling and everything that was Lucy. He only wanted to hug her, to get her to make him fish and have the team back together. Looking at the mountain, Happy wanted to whimper because it was scary looking. If Lucy was inside of there, Happy didn't want to know what her captors had been doing to her. He wished Natsu took her with him, and wished now he tried harder to convince him to bring her.

"There's three tunnels." Evergreen says, looking over at Erza and Laxus once they reached the entrance.

"These are obviously man made." Rouge added, seeing how even each tunnel was carved out. "Now this is the set up here."

Erza then looked over at Team Natsu and Juvia, "We split up into our groups then and pick a tunnel."

Mira clapped, grabbing her bag and sticking her hand in, "I thought about that before we left, and we do have Warren here so here." Mira then pulled out communication lacrimas. "Just in case we did split up, I brought these so we can keep in touch easier."

It was Yukino and Wendy who took the lacrima for their respective groups. Yukino put her's in her bag and Wendy put hers into Happy's backpack. Erza nodded her thanks to Mira, thanking silently that someone else thought ahead and wanting to hit herself for not thinking of this before hand.

"Let's go get the mighty Sting!" Lector cried out, ready to find his dragon slayer.

"Yes! The might Sting!" Frosh agreed, clapping.

Erza gave one final look at everyone, "Be careful, and if you need back up or find anything let us know. Good luck everyone."

With that Mira and the Thunder Legion took the far right tunnel, telling everyone to be careful as well. Team two being Gajeel, Levy, Lily, Rouge, Yukino and the two Sabertooth exceeds took the far left tunnel, leaving Team Natsu and Juvia to take the middle tunnel for themselves.

The deeper they got, the less and less light there was in the tunnels. None of them noticed a woman standing where they had once been, looking at the three tunnels and giggling herself.

"Idiots."

With that and a wave of her hand, the entrances to the tunnels shifted as the ground came up to meet and the entrances that had once been seemed to have never exist.

* * *

Levy was honestly a bit upset that no one remembered matches or packed for the dark. In reality Team Three had Natsu, a human torch and Team One had Laxus as another source of natural light. The had taken about thirty steps before it was just darkness all around them, and Levy hadn't liked the feeling of vulnerability, and neither had Gajeel.

Rouge at least could see in the dark, but it didn't help him much if his group couldn't see anything for themselves. At least both his and Gajeel senses would be able to pick up on anyone who wasn't apart of their group. He could see Lily in his warrior form, while Lector was on Yukino's left shoulder and Frosh was on his own shoulder.

Yukino let Rouge take her hand to help guide her through the dark, which lasted about ten minutes before she felt a familiar warmth at her own hip. Glancing down she saw Loke's key glowing, and without a second thought she reached for his key and gathered her magic.

"Open, gate of the Lion, Loke!" Yukino called for the lion spirit, feeling the pull on her magic as he stepped through his gate.

"Perhaps I can be of some assistance with lighting." Loke says, raising a fist and calling on Regulus to light the way for them.

"Finally some use for ya, play boy." Gajeel says, earning an elbow to the ribs from Levy who had given Gajeel a look before offering a smile to Loke.

"Thank you, Loke." Levy says, earning a smile back from Loke.

Loke was knew that Levy was hurting, that she felt guilty. He knew most of the guild now felt guilty because he finally told them the one thing Lucy had kept to herself all this time. He knew Lucy wanted to keep what happened to Aquarius to herself for as long as she could, but he also knew Lucy wouldn't heal if she never talked about it.

"If you're worried she's mad with you, she isn't." Loke tells Levy softly, walking besides the script mage in front of the others.

"I would have been." Gajeel grunted. "Knowing how her father was first handedly, understanding she was an easy target back then because she had been lonely and she was so protective of her newfound family, I can only image how she felt after everything."

"Lucy isn't the type of person to hold grudges." Yukino interjected, looking over at the two Fairy tail mages. "She isn't the type to tell you what bothers her either. There's a high chance that if your guild did stay together, she would kept the burden to herself."

Loke nodded, "Yukino's right. Lucy never planned on telling you about Aquarius, even had excuses lined up about why she couldn't call on her. Though, make no mistake, my Princess has become strong in her magic."

"The strongest celestial mage alive currently." Yukino chipped in, having no issue that Lucy was the most powerful. In fact Yukino couldn't have been more proud of how far Lucy had come. How much Lucy had grown as a mage and person.

"Which makes it all more concerning about our current dilemma." Lily decided to voice his thoughts. "Lucy is more powerful than she lets on, we all know this even before the disbandment. There were spikes in her magic, but she never said anything and neither did anyone else."

"Can't blame her though." Gajeel agreed, shaking his head at his next words. "Natsu has a hero complex, a need to be Lucy's protector and I have no doubt Lucy became so use to it that she became dependent on him."

Loke was surprised how spot on Gajeel was, because it had taken time to get Lucy out of that mind set that she was weak. Lucy was the strongest celestial mage he had gotten the pleasure of knowing. She deserved more than the damsel in distress role that people chalked her up to play perfect, because she was a hero.

"Lucy is so much more than anyone can understand here on Earthland." Loke says, defending his master. "It's a shame no one is ever there to witness how great she is when it counts."

Levy had nothing else to say, because Loke did have a solid point. She knew her best friend kept her accomplishment to herself, that Lucy was still a mystery to them where it counted. They thought they knew her, but they knew what she wanted them to know. Gajeel had been right though, no matter how much Lucy hated that part about herself, a heiress is a heiress. They had abilities that other people didn't know, because they were never taught to divert emotion.

Rouge was suddenly in front of Loke, signaling them to all stop. Levy was about to ask what was wrong until she heard the low growl of Gajeel. Both him and Rouge were looking off into the shadows that escaped Loke's light, eyes narrowed at whoever it was hiding. It caused Yukino and Levy to tense, bodies ready to leap into battle in a moment's notice, and from the corner of her eyes, Levy could see Lily was ready to tango as well.

"Who the hell are you?" Gajeel snarled, warning the strange smelling man who stepped out of the shadows with his hands raised.

"We are The Order." The smirking man, who's short dark hair and matching dark eyes, says while glancing at each one of them.

Rouge could tell he was sizing them up, growling seeing his eyes linger on Yukino a little to long. He didn't like the interest that flooded into his eyes as he glanced at Loke, and he certainly detested the chuckle the man let out with an amused grin.

"Leo the Lion, how nice to see you again." He took another dangerous step forward. "How hurt do you think our little Lucy would be knowing you found a new master?"

Loke snarled loudly, "Like hell is Lucy _yours_! Nor would I ever want another master besides Lucy!" Quickly he glanced at Yukino. "No offense."

"No taken." Yukino breathed out quickly.

Gajeel took a step forward, red eyes glaring out right at this man. "I'll ask one more time nicely before I bash your ugly mug in. Who. The. Fuck. Are. _You_."

The man turned to give Gajeel his full and utter attention, taking a step closer. That step closer caused Gajeel to go to the floor, feeling gravity shift in an unnatural direction. Then he was suddenly free falling from . the roof of the tunnel they were in, causing Gajeel's eyebrows to furrow. Was this void magic?

"You can call me Elijah, one of The Order." He introduces, looking at each one of them before settling on Loke. "Though I must thank you, Leo."

Loke frowned, gut twisting. "Thank me, for what?"

Elijah merely smirked, "Without you, they would have never been lead here. Without you bringing Fairy Tail, the awakening would never happen."

"What the hell is he going on about Loke?" Rouge harshly demanded from the lion spirit, who had no clue what the fuck was actually going on.

Elijah's clapping brought back the attention towards him, "Now don't blame him, he didn't even know he was doing it. Yet it doesn't change the fact that you all have to die."

Before Gajeel or Rouge could even lunge at Elijah, or even Lily could move a void in the floor opened up and down went the eight with their yells of surprise echoing around the walls.

* * *

Laxus had been lighting the way for his group the moment they split off, knowing that mountains didn't have electrical units or lighting. Common sense would to bring matches to this type of setting, but it was never a problem for him and he was sure it would never be.

No one was really speaking as they walked, the only sound being footsteps hitting the natural ground beneath them. At this point Laxus wasn't even sure how long they had been walking, and it wasn't like he could look outside. Yet he knew they were now deep enough into this damn tunnel that seemed to be going down to know he could no longer feel the brewing storm outside.

Bickslow was unsure about this the more further they went, his babies getting uneasy as well. The deeper they went the more dark it felt, and it wasn't the darkness surrounding them at the edge of Laxus's light. It was sinister feeling around them from dark magic. Magic that had to have one hell of a source.

"Even if we find Lucy in this place, we can't leave the town in this state." Evergreen spoke up, clicking her tongue in distaste for the dark mages causing this chaos. "We have to help clean this up."

"Even if what the kid at the inn said was liable, we can't be sure if there are dirty people on the council or in any higher up places." Laxus says, believing that because this about of dark energy should have been investigated long ago.

"We'll save thus town." Mira added with a nodded, smiling at Freed and Evergreen. "We are Fairy Tail mages, and we protect the people."

"How cute you think that."

The new voice caused all five of them to come to a halt, not even aware someone had been around them. Laxus growled lowly, pissed he hadn't sensed the newcomer at all. Not even by scent or sound, which meant nothing for his senses that were supposed to be great because he was a dragon slayer.

"You look like someone pissed in you cereal, Blondie." The newcomer was a woman with long brown eyes and green eyes that held mischief.

"How the hell did I not smell you?" Laxus questioned the girl, nearly sparking now seeing the amusement in her eyes.

"Simple. I am Terra of The Order, and I control the Earth." She tilted her head, as if that answered the question.

Which it did because now Laxus could smell that this woman, Terra, smelled like the earth around them. Probably because she was here as part of The Order. Yet before anyone else could say a thing, Terra lifted her hand and suddenly the ground around them shook.

"I wish we could play, but sadly I have orders." Terra says, the roof and group shifting together.

"Orders?" Freed raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

Terra grinned excitedly, "The awakening silly!"

That was all she offered as she disappeared, the ground cracking in her wake. Without thinking Laxus lunged and grabbed Mira which putt them across the rest of Thunder Legion, who had tumbled onto the other half of the now split ground.

"What the hell?" Bickslow muttered, eyes widening as the ground suddenly opened up from beneath them all and the ground shifted again with rocks coming up to cut off the sight of Laxus and Mirajane. "Laxus!"

The yell of his name became distant quickly as he held onto Mira during their free fall. Her body was curled into his as his own was around hers ready to take the most of the impact they were sure to have. Which came with promise soon enough, causing Laxus to let go of Mira on impact and both mages to tumble on the floor with a groan.

Mira took a deep breath, wincing feeling her body aching from hitting rocks that littered the mountain floor. She felt like she been dragged, and looking over at Laxus she saw he was no better. Well that encounter was over as fast as it happened, and she couldn't help be reminded of Tartaros.

"You good Mira?" Laxus called, slowly standing to his feet and helping Mira up.

"I'm good." She answered, patting the dust and dirt off her clothing. "We didn't fall through because of her earth magic did we?"

"No." Laxus muttered, taking a sniff around him. "Smells like a weird magic, because whatever the hell it was wasn't earth magic opening the one way gateway down to hell. Shit it's hot down here."

Laxus briefly wondered if they were in a volcano now, wiping sweat off his forehead as he looked around to see what the hell it was down here causing the summer heat on steroids. Yet when Laxus actually took in their surroundings, his grey eyes widen in complete surprise causing Mira to look and a gasp to escape her lips.

"Holy shit."

Looking around them, the seven missing mages that they had been looking for were in crystals that were circularized around a burning fire that Laxus was sure was hotter than hell. It looked as if they were peacefully sleeping, uncaring and oblivious to the world revolving around them as they slept in their states.

Yet they were there, found too easily by the two Fairy tail mages.

"What the hell happened to them?" Laxus muttered, peering around at the three woman and four men who slept blissfully. "I'll let the others know we found them."

When Laxus grabbed for Mira's bag, he realized she no longer had it. What the hell? When did she lose her bag? He could only suspect during the fall, and looking over to the place of impact, he could see her bag laying there forgotten and the fragments of what used to be their lacrima. _Wonderful_.

Mira frowned as she ignored Laxus for the moment and walked up to the crystalized celestial mage they had been missing at their guild for months. Her heart broke for Lucy, who seemed like she just couldn't catch a break at all recently. Seeing the blonde look so peaceful, made Mira realize how uneasy Lucy truly was before the guild broke up.

"She was hurting that day too and none of us saw that." Mira whispered, hand slowly going to rest flat on Lucy's crystal. That's when Mira's eyes snapped wide open, feeling her Satan Soul reaching out to the dark energy she was suddenly getting from _within_.

"Mira!" Laxus called, sensing the new presence before she did and grabbing her as an arrow went through the exact spot the take over mage had just been at. Which sent the arrow right through Lucy's crystal, causing a hairline fracture. At least his senses were functioning right for the moment since earth girl wasn't around.

"Oh my." A woman's voice taunted, standing on the railing above holding a crossbow with a smirk. "It seems I missed my target and hit her instead."

Hearing her last words, the two fairy tail mages couldn't help but look at Lucy's crystal to see the arrow lunched into Lucy's stomach, flooding the area with the dark energy that seemed to be inside these crystals.

"Why the hell is she in dark magic?!" Mira yelled at the woman, wanting to know why a mage the was full of Celestial Magic, a form of both light and heavenly magic was inside something that could snuff it out.

"Because she's been incubating in it for nearly six months." The woman revealed, causing both Laxus's and Mira's eyes to widen.

A celestial mage incased in dark magic for six months? How would that affect her body and magic? Or the other six at that point? Dark magic was known for corrupting people and destroying everything it touched. If the human body was in cased in that dark magic, what cost would it have?

This was the reason Libra mentioned Lucy's magic was unbalanced, Mira realized in horror. She could also recall Loke's words. _"That light will shine on in the dark or it will be snuffed out_."

"Who the hell are you woman?" Laxus questioned, nearly sparking in anger for what the woman was doing to his guild mate- no his _nakama_.

"You may call me Inori." The woman then did something more shocking by holding up a familiar key ring that held celestial keys, ones Lucy never really let anyone hold. "The puppeteer."

Without saying a thing, both Virgo and Taurus came out in front of Mira and Laxus. It made them question how it was possible, and it was Virgo who answered the question in a pained voice that was strained.

"She can channel magic and use it against the user." Virgo muttered. "Princess's magic is being drawn to force our gates."

"You want us to fight Lucy's spirits!?" Mira angrily yelled at the dirty blonde, who chuckled.

To Inori, it was amusing seeing how riled up these mages could get and the fun was only starting. Fairy Tail was a guild well known to over come all enemies so far they've crossed. If only they understood and never came, yet Fairy Tails were fools whose morals were all too high and too good for their own goods.

"No. They are going to bind you." Inori jumped from her perch and landed right in front of Mira, who's arms were now chained up by Virgo's expense.

Laxus went to punch Inori, yet was meet by the interception of Taurus throwing him back against the wall where Virgo's chains bound him before he returned to the spirit world, leaving Virgo. He glowered at the spirit who looked pained, and he remembered how avid Lucy was one giving her spirits freedom and treating them like people. This woman was treating them like tools.

"You're a disgusting woman." Laxus spat hatefully, earning a sigh of glee.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Inori purred, winking at the lightning dragon slayer.

Mira's eyes narrowed now at the woman, "You aren't going to fight us? Then what the hell do you want?"

Another set of footsteps caused Laxus's and Mira's attention to shift. Now Laxus really wished he let Gajeel beat that Inn manager to a pulp for no reason when Gajeel wanted, because now he was looking at the young man who helped them.

Royce stood there, looking as smug as ever. It was as if he been told he won the most jewels in Fiore, but the reality that Laxus now knew was that they had been played harder than a fiddle. They were fools who ignored the signs and warnings, how he shared information all to eagerly and how he wasn't all that feared of being killed for sharing formation like they were lead to believe.

"What do you want?" Laxus managed to restrain his lurking growl, settling to glare as lightning crackled around him, but went out with a fizz.

"We can't have you electrocuting anyone now, Laxus Dreyer." Royce tisked, wagging a finger and clasping his hands behind his back. "To simply put it, without giving to much away."

As Royce said this, the ground beneath them glowed a bright blue as a magic seal appeared. A manic grin was now plastered onto his face, and as Royce looked up with his onyx eyes and brown hair, Laxus felt his magic drop significantly.

"It was planned out, that you would come looking here. With that Lion spirit leading you unknowingly, the plan was to use this seal and drain your magic." Royce explained it as if it was obvious. "This town lacks mage, and we had the advantage here having one of your own. We needed magic for the last phase."

"Last phase?" Mira groaned, feeling her energy draining.

"The Awakening." Royce simply says, falling back into a void that opened for him and leaving Inori there.

Inori rolled her eyes at the man, who's only use was activating the magic draining seal they needed to prompt the last phase. The whole group through out the mountain magic energies had been drained.

Everything was happening all to quickly before Mira and Laxus, to quickly for them to keep up and make sense of it. It was obvious that whatever the hell these people were up too, they had it planned and moving along quickly to achieve their unknown goal.

What the two Fairy tail mages weren't ready for was all seven crystals to shatter simultaneously to reveal the seven mages wide awake, as if they were never in a sleeping state. There eyes held confusion as they looked around and took in their surroundings. Laxus couldn't help but wince when Lucy looked down at the arrow in her stomach, frowned at it, and then yanked it out like it was nothing.

She didn't even make a noise of pain as she tossed the arrow aside. _What the actual fuck?_

"What the hell are you six doing here?" One woman with dark hair asked, to where Sting looked at her sharply in response.

Any response that had been on the white dragon slayers tongue died as they all went stiff, there bodies rigid. Mirajane and Laxus watched with bewilderment as the natural colors of the seven's eyes turned into different colorful glows.

"Princess?" Virgo called unsure after a moment of silence, releasing Mirajane and Laxus as she felt the shift in magic and the control on her key loosen.

Lucy looked at the spirit then as if it was her first time really noticing Virgo there. Virgo didn't enjoy the feeling she had seeing that her master's usual normal warm brown eyes were now a glowing blue as Lucy tilted her head to the side with a frown. There was no recognition or adoration that was usually displayed on the blonde's face as she looked Virgo head to toe.

It was unnerving.

Not even uttering a word, Lucy walked towards the group of mages and spirit with slow graceful steps that Mirajane wasn't aware Lucy had the ability to do. She heard about it through Lucy's stories, but seeing it was something else. The steps were silent, Lucy's head was held high and her long blonde hair cascaded down her back, nearly to her waist. Yet the facial expression Lucy had was one that should never belong on Lucy, one that didn't look right.

In those eerily beautiful blue glowing eyes on her face, where her warm browns should have been, were inhumane. Her lips curled into a cruel smile, dark with a promise of cruel intentions. Not even Laxus wanted to really know what that smile meant as Lucy finally stopped in front of Virgo. No glance was spared towards Mirajane or Laxus as the area around them grew colder, if that was possible.

"_Princess_?" Lucy repeated the word mockingly, looking at the celestial spirit as if she truly didn't know her. The blue glow of her eyes suddenly intensified as she narrowed her eyes, seemingly deciding something she only knew about. Apparently that had been against the maiden spirit's high hopes.

**_"Be gone spirit."_**

Her voice was cold, no hint of her usual self there. With a swift swipe of her arm, Virgo was sent back to the celestial world with wide eyes and blood being splattered on the stone floor. Neither of the two Fairy Tail mages could believe what they witnessed, that Lucy caused physical harm to one of her beloved spirits without batting an eye. It was like the blonde had't recognize the maid spirit one bit, or felt remorse for harming her.

When Lucy looked over her shoulder at Mira and Laxus, there small movement causing her eyes to snap towards them, they felt tense under her glowing blue eyes. What the hell was wrong with her? Was it Inori controlling her and the others? The Lucy they knew would never look at them with such cold and emotionless eyes, nor ever harm one of her spirits. If she would harm her spirit right now, then she would harm them as well without a doubt.

Nothing was stopping her after all, not when they were down for the moment unable to fight back.

"Now what to do with you two?" She purred, licking the blood off her hand with a twisted smile as the other six mages circled around them.

* * *

**Ah shit, a long chapter! Plus a double update!**

**I hope this didn't seemed rush. I just didn't want to split this into two separate chapters, so I made it one long chapter. It's also 2 in the morning and my energy drink is slowly starting to leave me.**

**I hope you liked this chapter, if so then let me know your thoughts!**

**Love you guys and thank you for the support!**

**Please review :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**05| SEVEN SINS**

* * *

Mira wanted to reason with the blonde, but feeling Laxus gripping her wrist in warning told her that it wasn't an option. Seeing Lucy's eyes holding no recognition, no warmth they always held back at the guild struck a new sense of fear into Mira's heart. What if this was Lucy now? What if these people turned Lucy into something they couldn't save her from?

"Lucy." Her name slipped from Mira's lips before the takeover mage could stop it. Her blue eyes widened in surprise at her slip, breath hitching as Lucy's eyes narrowed.

"Lucy?" She repeated back, tilting her head as she kneeled down to be on eye level with Mirajane.

Laxus growled at Lucy in warning, who spared him nothing but a side way glance. She seemed to have decided something when she looked at one of the other six people surrounding them, and Laxus took it as Lucy not being appreciated being growled at as Sting pulled him to stand in a tight grip with another man. Snarling at the two, Sting's purple eyes and the other man with orange only tightened their grips.

"Don't pay them any mind beautiful." Lucy whispered, her hand brushing against Mira's cheeks softly, effectively gaining the attention of white haired mage. "Now tell me who this Lucy is and why you're here."

There was something alluring and perilous about her voice that had Mira's mind blanking out. It was like a cloud in her head, and had Mira not realized what was going on then she would have answered any question Lucy had asked her. Why? Mira wasn't sure, hell she wasn't sure what the hell was going on.

With a huff of annoyance, Lucy's hand slowly trailed down Mira's cheeks, thumb tracing her lip softly that caused Mira to blush softly. Yet the blonde's hand didn't stop there as her fingers left a ghost trail on her neck. Stopping right at the middle of her neck, Lucy's glowing blue eyes pulled Mira's attention in.

Laxus felt the tension shift in the room as her was pulled back with the other six mages, away from Lucy and Mira. The tension of fear and confusion had changed the moment Lucy opened her mouth, causing the atmosphere to be thick with a sexual tension. Laxus's mind was reeling, trying to think of the reasons Lucy was practically trying to seduce Mira with her voice, or why these mages were abnormally strong. He understood Sting, he was a dragon slayer, but the other man?

"You took to long." Lucy hissed, gripping Mira around the neck tightly and lifting her up with ease. Mira gasped, trying to claw at Lucy's strong grip as her feet lifted off the ground. That feeing in her head was gone, shattered no doubtingly by the blonde before her.

"Let's try this one more time before we kill you and your friend here." Lucy spat, grip tightening again. "I sense the demon inside you. A beautiful face with a demon soul. You're here for the hellfire."

Mira choked for air, wanting nothing more than to kick and punch her way free. Yet how could she harm Lucy? Her nakama that was out of her fucking mind right now. She could here Laxus's struggling- muttering promises of pain if she were to be hurt. Yet her mind wanted to comfort Lucy, to take her home where it was safe, to shake Lucy to snap out of it.

"No." Mira whispered out, taking in air when she could. "You Lu- we are here for _you_."

Lucy watched the woman for a moment, clicking her tongue in distaste as she dropped Mira to the floor unceremoniously as if she were nothing. Watching as the woman below her held a hand to her throat and gasped for air fully now, like a fish out of water. For Laxus, he watched as Lucy watched as if it was the most pathetic thing in the word she had ever seen.

Whatever was going on with Lucy, and the others proved that they were not themselves and would hurt them. Laxus had no reason not to believe they wouldn't kill them, because every single moral Lucy and Sting had was out the door. The other five Laxus couldn't even be sure of. None of them were themselves.

"My name is not Lucy." Lucy's voice was flat, emotionless as she stared Mira down. "I am the fifth sin of the seven deadly sins, Lust. We will not let you leave here with the hellfire."

Laxus's eyes widened, as did Mira's as they began understand the situation now. It was like realization hitting them in the face as tangible as Natsu and Gray's fights that ended with broken tables and chairs to the face, _hard_. The seven of these mages had represented the virtues, just like Mavis had said. Then they had been encased in the crystals full of dark magic, not doubt apart as a ritual to awaken the souls of the seven deadly sins.

_"It's said that the seven sacrifices woke with abilities and their humanity barely in tack, their human lives turned into a dark ageless one. The legend has it that it took them three hundred years to regain the mindset of their former selves, to make it the mission to kill any seeking the power of Hellfire by the means of making sure it's never obtained."_

Mavis's words rang through Laxus's head suddenly, recalling what she had said had happened the first time the sins were awoken. Laxus wasn't sure if the former mind of Lucy and the others were in their bodies, or if they were gone and lost forever. He wasn't sure if a sacrifice had taken place, if the seven were killed for the cause of this hellfire.

He knew they had a mission to kill anyone who wanted the hellfire, and at the current moment Lucy was under the impression that him and Mira wanted the hellfire for themselves. _Well shit_. It was clear Lucy didn't recognize her spirits, but if Lucy had been killed wouldn't her contracts be terminated? Loke and Libra had reassured that the celestial spirit mage was alive, but her magic was unbalanced.

Glancing off to the side, Laxus looked at the woman who called herself Inori- the Puppeteer. Her magic was to control people, a lost magic really that was illegal. Well at least Laxus thought it should be, but he was sure that was part of the reason Lucy and the others were aggressive. It was the doing of the woman just watching a far.

"We don't want the hellfire." Laxus hissed feeling Sting pull his hair up, yanking hard enough that Laxus felt some hair pul out. "We want our friend back!"

Lucy's eyes narrowed at Laxus, taking a step forward but another woman stepped in front of Laxus and gripped his chin. He could feel her nails biting into his skin, but he withheld his hiss of pain so he wouldn't come off as weak. After all, he could handle being manhandled and pinched by a woman.

Yellow eyes bore into his own blue, the woman had long red hair as well that went past her shoulders and down her back. Her facial expression was calculating as her yellow eyes narrowed and her nose scrunched up as if he were the foulest thing in the room. Yellow, the color of envy if he could recall. This woman was named Nadia, the kind mage who was taken from her home. Yet now she was anything but kind.

"Then who are you here for?" Nadia inquired, a peril tone underlying her words. "If not for the hell fire."

Laxus could see now how this mission to keep the hellfire was implanted into their heads, it was all the really cared about. Yet Laxus couldn't help but et his eyes flicker to Lucy, who's lips were turned into a frown as she looked at him.

"Lust?" Nadia questioned, seeing Laxus's eyes travel to her. "Does this man know you from a night shared in bed?"

Both Mira and Laxus nearly choked at the accusation in the form of a question. The sin lust was associated with sex, good to know. Yet Lucy rolled her blue eyes and shook her head.

"No you idiot." Lucy says, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Why would I sleep with that man anyways? I can tell we were asleep for centuries, these people wear clothing styles I don't recall."

Laxus ignored the slight offense he seemed to take to Lucy's words, reminding himself that this wasn't their Lucy. This was Lucy being possessed and controlled, and hell would freeze over if Laxus stood around any longer to watch. Gritting his teeth, Laxus's body sparked with electricity as he shocked Sting and the other man away with twin lighting strikes. Yet he felt a strain on his magic, fully aware how that damn seal drained him.

At this five pair of eyes narrowed and Mira knew that shit was about to hit the fan as she glanced up at Inori, where the woman leaned on a railing watching with amusement. Mira knew this woman was exerting more magic, taking control but did she really need too? It was as if all of the emotions in Lucy's and Nadia's eyes vanished, and that void was there again.

There was no more speaking as the magic pressure around the room continued to grow intense. Mira looked over to Laxus, nodding her head slightly that they would have to fight for their lives with the way the seven mages now circled them. As Mira looked closer to the seven of them, she noticed something she hadn't before.

On the side of their necks was a small metal oval, and by the indentions of the skin she could tell it was biting into the skin. Mira frowned, again glancing up at Inori but this time she wasn't alone. Royce was there holding a device. It clicked then.

"You're controlling them physically!?" Mira yelled, nearly shaking in anger.

Royce chuckled, "It was never fully known how they would be if they woke up. Either completely mad and rabid, or possibly awaken the way they were when sealed away. A contingency plan was put into place, so at this moment they cannot hear you. Just my orders."

Mira took a step forward, only to be pulled back by Laxus. "Why tell us your plans? People like _you_ give that up if you're planning to kill us."

"You're a smart one." Royce praised mockingly, "We only needed you and your guild mates for your magic properties. Draining you in a sense to fuel the seven deadly sins magic, after that you lot are deemed useless."

Laxus's gritted his teeth, feeling the seal reactivate once again. At this point their magic would be drained and useless, yet he had to ask. He had to _know_, "Lucy and the others, are they dead because you sacrificed them for these demon sins?!"

Inori was the one to laugh at him, as if it was the most amusing thing in the world. "You fool, do you not see? They _are_ the seven deadly sins, cursed to be reborn life after life until the seals are broken. Finding them was tricky, but we did it. We won."

Laxus snarled, falling with Mira as the Earth around them came up to cuff around their wrists and ankles, pinning them to the ground as the earth opened slightly to swallow their bodies in just enough to make escape difficult.

"We won't kill you _yet_." Inori mused, standing there on her high horse. "Your magic levels will do well to keep this place going until they are ready to open the gates, and if blood is needed to get those gates open then yours will do."

"Lucy." Mira whispered to the blonde, who was again emotionless and unspeaking, trying to see those warm brown eyes again that brought Mira comfort every morning at the bar. They were no where in sight.

"Now." Royce pressed a button, and in response seven heads turned towards him. "Find their comrades and make due of them."

"You can't!" Mira yelled, crying out when the rock around her wrists were squeezed tight.

"Mira!" Laxus yelled, watching as her eyes rolling to the back of her head before everything went dark for him as well.

* * *

Everything was dark again, but it didn't change the fact that Gajeel was on high alert. He could smell Levy and Yukino, hear the fluttering of their heart beats along with the three exceeds and Rouge's mutterings. How they hell they fell was beyond Gajeel, but it was no doubt the doings of an Earth mage.

Which meant they were utterly fucked because they were in an environment where that mages had the advantage. _Wonderful_. Gajeel thought to himself bitterly, knowing damn well that they were screwed if they didn't think fast.

Levy coughed, ignoring the aches her body was feeling because of the impact her body sustained. She wasn't too sure how high that fall was, but she knew that it was enough to sprain something. Then again she landed on Gajeel, so he took more of the fall than her but physically he was stronger.

Yukino groaned softly, squeaking out when she felt something move from under her. Looking down, her brown eyes could make out the soft glow of Loke's regulus's light and quickly got up. In her haste to get up, Loke grunted when her foot came into contact down south that caused his light to go out as he laid there for the pain to pass.

"Sorry Loke!" Yukino yelped, earning another grunt in response as Loke regained his composure.

"Accidents...happen." Loke muttered, his eyes looking around them. He had a feeling that something was going to happen, which was why he stayed close to Yukino. He'd be damned if he lost another celestial spirit mage, and Lucy's friend.

Rouge looked back over at Loke and Yukino, making sure both Frosh and Lector were okay from the fall. He could feel something in the shadows, as if they were being watch and he didn't doubt that for a moment. The possibility of someone watching them was there, because someone named Elijah had been there before the ground opened and they fell through.

"I have no doubt Bunny Girl is here now." Gajeel muttered, which was given since the man admitted Lucy was here. The only issue was that they had an Earth mage, which would make this a game of finding a way through the maze. _How annoying._

"Bunny Girl?" Rouge and Yukino questioned.

Levy smiled, "Gajeel's nickname for Lucy after he had her dance on stage with him while he performed." Levy had tried to offer an explanation, yet the look in the two Sabertooth's eyes only made it clear she caused more questions.

Levy didn't offer any further explanation, only looking at Loke which increased her worry for Lucy. Yes, they had her here but that anticipated that Loke would bring them here. Which raised the question as to _why_ they needed _them_ here. What purpose could the possibly served? Was Lucy and they others not enough? That thought lead to the fear that Lucy was dead, but yet if she was dead Loke would know. At least that's what Levy rationalized for herself.

"Any guesses on why they would want us here Loke?" Lily asks the lion spirit in his battle form, ready for anything that could come their way.

Loke didn't even know why they took Lucy, so why the hell would he know why they wanted him to bring Fairy Tail here? The only thing he understood was that Lucy had been watched, for a while now if they anticipated his actions and the guild's. It slipped past him this whole time, but he was so focused on Lucy's wellbeing that her safety was jeopardized. It was his fault.

"None." Loke muttered, refraining to sigh.

"Theoretically speaking, what if you master Mavis had been right?" Rouge theorized, looking at Gajeel and Levy. "Let's say that they used Sting, Lucy and the others to wake the seven deadly sins. What happens to them? What else are we facing if this was to happen? If these people got their hands on the hellfire, here and now then there is no doubt in my mind that they brought strong members of your guild here to eradicate everyone."

"Why would they want to do that?" Levy frowned, not liking how realistic this could be.

Gajeel answered for Rouge, seeing his point to vividly, "Because we stopped Tartaros. Given Lucy helped free us so we could finish the job, but we still defeated the nine demon gates and Mad Geer. We would be the first threat to their plan now."

Levy's eyes widen but she said nothing as the sound of clapping echoed around them. She yelped feeling Gajeel pull her close to him with Lily flanking them. Glancing at Loke and Rogue, Levy saw the two standing protectively around Yukino was the two smaller exceeds on their shoulders.

"I must say that your group is so much brighter than the other two groups." This time it was not Elijah, but a young girl around Wendy's age. Her hair was in a long blonde braid, green eyes bright with mischief.

"Who the hell are you?" Gajeel barked, not in the mood for any of little girl's mind games she no doubtingly had planned for them.

She remained unfazed, "Terra. Though we have no time for conversation." She gave a lazy smile. "This might hurt a little bit."

Gajeel and Rouge were ready for the ground to move, having a hunch she was an earth mage. They waited in that single second for the earth to bend at Terra's will, to try to get them but in never came. What came was a blue seal appearing on the floor, then an intense burning feeling swallowing their bodies and their minds to vibrate with pain.

The seven of them fell, even Gajeel and Rouge who fought against it but they could feel both their magic and strength draining from them. The hell was it possible for the girl to know such a powerful spell to make them weak? On the other hand, Levy was feeling sick and Yukino's magic was running out quickly, which caused Loke's gate to close.

"Making us weak to kill us with a drainage spell?" Gajeel snarled at the girl, red eyes narrowed into a glare as he looked up at her from where she stood just outside the magic seal.

She had the nerve to giggle, and it only pissed Gajeel off further. "Me? Kill you?" She only smiled at him. "Heavens no."

Terra squatted, eyes level with Gajeel as her arms rested on her knees. In her green eyes, Gajeel could see the amusement. The girl was messed up in the head, that was the only explanation Gajeel could give for her.

"These seals won't _kill_ you. They aren't strong enough to cause magic depletion like the Eclipse Gate, in certain cases." Terra gave a knowing grin, humming lightly. "No, they will keep you weak enough to not cause a fight back and drain you more on a regulated time. Though we don't need all of you and we have the dragon slayer and take over mage."

Gajeel's and Levy's eyes widen, but it was Gajeel who thrashed around and yelled out when the seal glowed brighter and pulled his magic more. Terra clicked her tongue and shook her head.

"Struggling makes it drain you more." Terra stood, looking over the seven as if they were the most pathetic thing she'd seen. "I would give you mercy, but it's not my call."

"You're going to kill us, then do it already you cheat." Levy bit out, her anger manifesting now seeing Gajeel struggle with Lily. "We are Fairy Tail! We will fight until our last breaths!"

Terra glanced over her shoulder as the seal slowly disappeared, then back at them. "Not me, them. They will end you quickly, hopefully. I don't know what Inori will have them do to you lot." Terra sighed, shaking her head as she walked away opening a door through the rocks.

Gajeel struggled to see what the crazy bitch meant, ignoring the weak feeling his body was feeling from losing a significant amount of magic. He heard it before he saw it, the set of three footsteps. Slowly three people emerged, one male and two females.

"Sting." Yukino whispered, seeing the white dragon slayer approaching them with a demeanor that promised danger. It made her shiver seeing his normally blue eyes now glow an unnatural purple.

_Pride._

Levy took in the two females that flanked Sting, instantly recognizing them from their profile photos in their files. The red head, who should have hazel eyes instead of yellow, was Nadia Silva. _Greed_. The other female was no doubtingly Sabrina Moore, a short brunette who had originally had onyx colored eyes. Now they glowed green and her lips were curled into a malicious smirk. Levy knew that she was the sin of Envy.

Rouge could feel the dark magic in the hair, and he huffed out a small chuckle. Sure they could drain magic, but as dragon slayers- him and Gajeel could easily replenish that magic. With that thought, Rogue welcomed the dark magic into his pores, pulling it from the three mages in front of them.

"Gajeel." Rouge called, standing slowly with narrowed eyes at Sting. This was not his partner, and it was true what he thought.

"Levy." Gajeel said, looking at the small blue haired female.

She understood and without a word she called for her script magic and softly called for iron. She watched as it fell in front of Gajeel, how the iron dragon slayer wasted no time in scarf it down. She felt useless watching as Gajeel stood, standing next to Rouge.

"Sting." Rouge tried to call, knowing he had to try once at least. "Snap out of it."

"Sting-kun, please!" Lector cried out for his dragon slayer, and for a second his eyes flickered.

It was enough for Rouge, "They're in there somewhere, Gajeel."

Watching the three slowly split off to circle them, and feeling the magic pressure from them spike up only caused Gajeel to crack his knuckles and neck, "I've always wanted to kick Sting's ass."

"I'll handle Sting." Rouge says, eyeing the two women. "You got the women."

Gajeel refrained a groan.

"Now, don't underestimate us dragon." Nadia and Sabrina spoke in perfect sync, and it caused a shiver to go down Levy's spine. "This is where you die."

They three moved quick, but Rouge and Gajeel were just a little quicker.

* * *

Erza had a nagging feeling the moment their group had split into smaller groups to cover more ground. It was one of her gut feelings that kept her alive on all her solo missions, an intuition she never ignored until now. There was too much at stake, especially if it was Lucy's life on the line or in question. Her blonde friend had been through enough, more than enough. The red head always knew there was more to Lucy's childhood, more to her story than she let on. Yet they never pried, that wasn't Fairy Tail.

It was that reason Erza was unsure she ever understood Lucy fully. Erza had always been skilled in the ability to spot weakness and lies. That meant she was able to see through people, but Lucy was never a person she figured out. Realization was hard for Erza, that a girl she thought she knew was possibly someone she never knew at all. All the smiles on missions, even after the loss of her father and they never even asked how she was assuming she was okay.

They never _asked_, and that's what was killing Erza. Lucy had hidden pain, she knew how to do it so much even Natsu had never been able to see through it. Yes, he had held her when she cried and they've all seen it and they all seen her bounce back. Yet Erza had worked solo missions around high status clients, had seen other heiresses and how they acted, how they lived due to how they were raised.

Never once had Erza believed Lucy could be like them, able to hide her feelings while being so emotional and sensitive at the same time. Only now Erza took noticed how she cried, laughed, and was mad when _they_ were. As a team and as a guild, Lucy had reflected those emotions and never talked about the things she lost.

Her childhood, her mother, Eclair, her father, the GMG, Aquarius, Tartaros, the Eclipse Gate, or even seeing her future self die, which Erza heard from Natsu, was never spoken about by the blonde. All the important key factors that would put anyone's heart through turmoil, and yet Lucy never lost that smile nor warmth in her eyes.

Erza felt horrible, for not even realizing all this earlier. They continued to move forward on missions _Lucy_ had brought forward after each event, and it distracted them. Clever.

"Juvia has a bad feeling." Juvia says, breaking the silence as they wandered the tunneled cave they were in.

"Stay alert." Gray says, walking behind Natsu and for once putting up with the heat that radiated from the dragon slayer's body.

The thing about Natsu, for Gray at least, was that he couldn't stand the heat Natsu put out. Naturally him and Gray collided, and that was because Gray himself was fond of the cold and thrived in low temperature climates. The only reason he really couldn't stand Natsu was because the pink haired man was a total idiot. Gray never had thought Natsu would willingly leave Lucy behind with the way they had always been glued to the hip. Yet Gray understood his reasoning, because for once Natsu had made sense.

Gray never tried to pretend he understood Lucy, because she came from a background every kid wished they could be born into. Yet learning from Lucy's little tidbits, that life was not all it was shaped up to be. He understood like everyone that Lucy liked to keep things to herself only for her to know. He could respect that, but he couldn't see past the Aquarius part. She should have told them. Yet Gray could understand Lucy's selfless reason to spare them guild, but as friends it felt like she didn't trust him with that knowledge or to be able to handle the news.

Wendy hugged Carla to her chest, finding comfort in the small white exceed. She felt nervous, like something was going to happen. There was a change in the air she sensed, a small shift that had caught her attention, and maybe Juvia's. It was the same feeling that washed over her every time when something was going to change their lives. It was the feeling that something out of their control would inevitably happen.

Natsu was another story than his other comrades, and Happy could see it the most. He knew that he should have taken her, just like Happy had suggested but Natsu was too stubborn. He had needed to get stronger to protect Lucy, and ironically she was taken when he had left her out of his sights. He had jeopardized her future, and now he wasn't sure if he could keep his promise of protecting Lucy's future.

He wasn't sure if he'd lost her this time for good. Lucy had been missing for _weeks_, and no one had even _known_. Natsu wished he could beat himself for that, for not knowing something was off sooner but he trusted her. He trusted Lucy was okay and she was handling her own, so when she was ready to return home they would all be there waiting to greet her. Natsu never believed that they would be wandering a mountain, looking for Lucy or Sting, or five other mages. He didn't want to believe Lucy could get caught up again in something so soon.

"The famous Team Natsu in the flesh." A voice called out, causing the whole team to tense and turn around.

Wendy and Natsu frowned, both not smelling or sensing someone else so close to them. In front of them now stood a man with long dark hair, his eyes showing he was up to no good. The feeling in Wendy's chest tightened as she let go of Carla, preparing to spring to action if needed soon.

"Though not very impressive." He hummed, clicking his tongue.

Gray's eyes narrowed, "Who the hell are you?"

The man in front of them said nothing, taking a single step forward and watching in amusement as the group of famous mages took a defensive stance. Team Natsu, a group well known for their destructive behavior and patterns on their jobs. To him personally they were not all that impressive, more like over bearing or overrated in a sense.

"I am Kyle of The Order." He says, doing a mocking bow yet only lifts his head with a smirk. "This may sting for a moment."

There was no time to speak for Team Natsu and no time for Kyle to waste, because these mages were fast in action before thinking. They had to be taken out as efficiently as could be, since it was seven versus one. That and Kyle was a teleportation mage, not a combat mage. He was the brains of this plan, not the brute force so he didn't know why the hell he was here instead of Royce.

Right as Natsu ignited his fist into a ball of flames and as Erza held her sword ready to strike with Gray's ice make magic, the rocky terrain beneath them glowed a blue with a seal.

"The hell?" Natsu muttered, feeling like gravity shifted as he fell to a knee with the others. Only Happy and Carla were on the floor groaning along with Juvia and Gray. Natsu could hear the soft pants of Wendy trying her best to fight through whatever was going on, and hear Erza take a deep breath as her body trembled holding herself in place. All Natsu felt like doing was dropping down, feeling his body slowly getting weaker.

"A draining spell?" Wendy whispered, being the first one to realize what was going on. Her head snapped up to look at Kyle, eyes narrowing as she sized the slightly older man up. "Why drain our magics?"

Kyle shrugged, "Makes it easier to make sure you lot can't stop us. Besides it's too late for you to save them."

Natsu growled, "Where the hell is Lucy you bastard!?"

"Lucy." Kyle tested her name out, grinned as he watched them struggle. He let them wait for his answer, let them struggle with the not knowing and becoming powerless. "Lucy is gone, and she isn't coming back." His grin turned into a dark smirk, taunting them that he knew something they didn't. "She's dead, along with the others. You were too late."

She's dead.

You were too late.

_She's dead._

_You were too late._

**_She's dead._**

**_You were too late._**

There was a piece inside Natsu that snapped suddenly, and the magic seal meant nothing to him, his body, or his magic. All he heard was that they hurt Lucy, _his_ Lucy and it was enough to send him over the edge. It took no effort to mind, just blinded rage to propel Natsu forward with a flaming fist.

Kyle barely had time to react before heat collide with his face and pain burned his whole face. He screamed out and used his teleportation magic to move away on the other side of the magic seal that kept the others contained. Kyle dared to look at the pissed off dragon slayer, who's chest was heaving up and down with heavy pants as he shook with his anger. For a moment Kyle swore he say scales on the dragon slayer.

Erza couldn't pick her head up much now, but she felt like Natsu was about to commit a murder and kill this man. She couldn't blame him, but she knew that killing someone changed a person. It would change Natsu, everything he worked for up until this point and he would never forgive himself.

Fairy Tail didn't kill.

"Natsu." Gray called out, wheezing really.

The draining seal disappeared then, leaving those on the floor feeling weak and tired. Their bodies felt strained, as if training so hard they used their magic up. It was a shitty situation now that only seemed to get worse and worse.

Natsu let out another huff, getting ready to launch before he froze as did Wendy. The scent of strawberry and vanilla, mixed with something he couldn't place. There was three other scents as well, three scents neither Wendy nor Natsu could place.

"What's wrong?" Erza asked, sensing the two dragon slayers tense up in her group as she shuffled her body up, her eyes never leaving Kyle. Sure her magic was lower, but she could fight if needed. She had to, there was no time to think about resting.

"I should say good luck." Kyle chuckled, earning a glance from the group but a glare from Natsu, who was looking his direction already. "You'll need it." Before Natsu could even burn him to a crisp, Kyle had disappeared in the air and something else had his complete attention.

Natsu and Wendy had gone back to staring intensely at the darkened opening of the cave, trying to see something that Erza, Gray, Juvia and the exceeds couldn't see yet. Yet they could hear the echoing footsteps headed their way, causing them to tense up as well now.

Not even a minute later did four figures emerge. Three males flanking an all too familiar blonde, who looked at them with emotionless blue glowing eyes while the other two had red, orange and light blue glowing eyes. At the entrance of the tunnel is where the three stopped, watching and seemingly waiting.

"Luce?" Natsu called, about to step forward but Erza was quick to pull him back. Hissing feeling the strain it caused for her.

"I don't have a good feeling about this Natsu." Erza muttered lowly as she listened to her intuition, slowly letting Natsu's scruff go while she swallowed the bitter feeling threatening to grow in the pit of her stomach.

The way she walked was like a doll, alive but lifeless at the same time. Yet as the four of them watched the seven of them, the more the seven grew unsettled. Their celestial mage wasn't smiling at them, or running to them in greeting. There was no recognition at all in her eyes, not as she looked them up and down unimpressed.

The men with Lucy were the men in the files Erza had read over, and looking at them now she could identify them. The tallest one with greenish hair and brown eyes was Killian Kiryu, the slightly shorter man next to him with red hair was Adrian Vandom. Then the last one, the more well built one with blonde hair was Rafael Armington.

The Lucy they knew was not there, because their Lucy would not be this unwelcoming or seemingly against them. Mavis had been right, unfortunately. The seals were broken, and these demons were possessing their friend and other mages. How the hell did they save Lucy from this? Possession was a forbidden practice, and not even Erza knew how the hell to separate a spirit away from a body.

It didn't help that they weren't at full power to defend themselves if needed, which put them at a disadvantage. Erza could recognize the look that fleeted across all four of their expressions, how their unnatural glowing eyes narrowed at the seven of them with a conviction that was against them. A look Erza had seen multiple times in rivals and fights.

"Oi, what the hell Gray!?" Natsu growled, holding a hand up to his face as he held his cheek.

Erza looked to see the ice mage standing there with his fist in the air where Natsu's face had been mere seconds ago. Yet the ice mage looked as surprised as Natsu, "It wasn't me who did that."

"They had a mage that was able to control people." Carla reminded, looking around to find another mage around but came up with no one but Lucy and her new _friends_.

Juvia was the one who saw the change in Lucy's eyes, how they went from no emotionless to mocking. At the same time they were glazed over, a smirk twisting unnaturally on her pink lips. At the same time the three males had a similar expression, causing shivers to go down her smile.

"This will be fun won't it?" Hearing Lucy's voice sounding sickeningly sweet caused the group to look over with worry. The small giggle that left her lips brought no warmth to Team Natsu, only chills.

"Only if you share them." A deeper tone agreed, coming from Killian.

"Lushie?" Happy called out, just wanting the blonde to wrap him up in her arms and make him feel safe like always when she did that.

Yet there was no answer from the blonde, only a cynical smile that didn't belong on Lucy's lips. Her whole demeanor was _wrong_, and her tone of voice was haunting.

"Lucy isn't here anymore." It came from Adrien, who smirked at the group. "We are four of the seven deadly sins."

Natsu didn't see anyone move, his eyes picked up nothing but now in a blink of an eye they were surrounded by the four. In front of him was a blonde haired man, Rafael. The man's red eyes promised a world of pain, yet Natsu became determined.

Erza's eyes looked over quickly around, focused on Killian who stood there ready to strike her down. "We mean no harm to you."

"Lies." Killan spat out, eyes narrowed.

"You all want the hellfire." Adrian accused, glaring at Wendy and Carla who were watching him with wary eyes.

Gray had already noticed the device on Lucy's neck, and on the others. "The Order wants to use you."

"No." Lucy says, voice laced with malice. "The Order is trying to help us. You are the threat, you have to die."

There was no room to reason with the four, not when they lunged at Fairy Tail.

* * *

**Okay here we are, new update. I had such a hard time ending the chapter so if it's cringe I'm sorry haha. Maybe one of these days soon I'll rethink the ending for the chapter but for now that's where it will be left at.**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know your thoughts on it!**

**Also if it's a little confusing I'm sorry. Hopefully I'll clear that up next chapter!**

**Please review and let me know how you liked it :)**


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